Left Unsaid
by Ana the Romantic
Summary: Random, and not so random, collection of Red/Cricket one shots. Everything, from fluff to angst, that has to do with our wolf and cricket conscience.
1. Stood Up

**Summary**: Collection of unrelated one-shots of our dear cricket and wolf. Until there comes a day where the writers decide to give us our redcricket fandom, these will all be AU. Most of these will be prompted from one word, one phrase or situational prompts that I have come into contact with. I will be updating as I write on this one since they are all unrelated. If you have any prompts to explore on this couple, please message me. I always love to play in the redcricket sandbox. Happy reading, as always.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters or places represented in the show Once Upon A Time. I am just a big fan and feel as if both Archie and Ruby need a little love. Please, do not sue. You won't get anything from dry veins anyway.

**Left Unsaid**

"**Stood Up"**

Ruby looked down at her watch and sighed loudly before her eyes scanned over the half melted candle at her table. This was a first. Usually, if anyone was late, it was her. Yet, here she sat, alone at the table with a half eaten basket of breadstick and on her third glass of complimentary water. She didn't care if he was a doctor; Whale is now officially on her 'shit' list. Another chime from the large clock by the kitchen doors now told her that he was a full hour late. No call, no message… no nothing.

"Excuse me, madam," the waiter sighed above her head. Her eyes widened and looked up at him as if caught in the headlights, "Is your… um, 'date' ever coming to join you?"

"That would be the question, wouldn't it?" she mumbled to herself and began to toss the napkin from her lap. Immensely embarrassed and feeling rejected, she moved to shake her head and excuse herself from the table. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder before she moved and a small bouquet of what looked like red, miniature lilies appeared before her. She looked up and got the biggest shock of the night, "Archie?!"

"I am so sorry I am late," he said without missing a beat and gave the back of her hand a kiss. He looked at the waiter before he sat down, "Thank you for keeping the table open for me."

"The reservation was for Doctor Whale," the waiter reminded him.

"It was a professional courtesy to me," Archie answered and sat down, unfolding the napkin over his lap. He ordered right afterward without a glance at the menu and a large smile. Ruby nodded as he ordered her favorite without having to ask her. The waiter swiftly walked away.

Ruby leaned toward the man across from her, flowers still in hand, "What are you doing here?"

"I overheard that Whale was supposed to accompany you tonight," he blushed slightly and shrugged, "When I saw him… well, we will say preoccupied with Mister Clark's check out girl, I thought that he may have forgotten his previous engagement with you…"

Ruby reached across and squeezed Archie hand, 'Thank you for being my knight in shining armor tonight. It's more than I deserve."

"That isn't true," he frowned, "You deserve the moon if it was possible to be given."

Ruby's breath hitched slightly and smiled shyly, "Thanks for the flowers, too. They're beautiful."

"They're known as Flowers of the Incas. They were the only flowers that were red and weren't roses. I think roses would be sending the wrong message," Archie cleared his throat nervously as he caught himself rambling and looked over the melted candle between them. Ruby still held the shy smile, but he saw the understanding shining behind her eyes, "You do look beautiful tonight, Ruby. Whale is a complete idiot to leave you like this."

Ruby's smile brightened at his words. She didn't know Doctor Hopper well outside of the diner, but one thing she did know was that he never lied. Every word he just said was true. She buried her nose in the flowers her brought her, "You surprise me."

"Why?" he sat up straight as if to defend himself.

"I didn't know you were such a charmer," she winked at him and giggled at the red in his face and on the tips of his ears.

"Anything for a friend," he smiled back and began to ask about her day until the food arrived. They talked for over an hour after the food was gone about books, music, her mustang, Pongo, and- thanks to Ruby- town gossip. He paid the tab with a smile and refused her offer to pay her part. He only replied that her company was all her would ask for and she already paid in full.

After dinner, Archie walked her home and to her door. She pecked him on the cheek, a flash of her red lipstick now smudged on his cheek. She giggled at his surprised expression and rubbed at the mark that she had left.

"Goodnight, Archie," she bit her bottom lip and waved the flowers at him, "Thanks again."

He waved weakly at the door and slowly strolled down the street toward his office and then later to home. Ruby watched through the window. Next time, maybe she would look up another doctor.

END


	2. Real

**A/N**: One word, magnitude of possibilities:

"**Real**"

In their world, Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke, Maine, it was getting hard to tell what was actually real. First she was just a young woman trying to find herself in a go nowhere town; stuck in a vicious cycle of the day to day. Now that the fog had cleared, both figuratively and literally, she had found the wolf and the part of her that could tame it; the strong young woman who was an adviser and close friend of Snow White. Then both of her selves clashed in her mind and she couldn't see which was real- or more meaningful.

'We are both,' David had once said. She wished it was that easy.

Were her days cursed as being Ruby any less or maybe even more important than her time as Red? She learned and became a different kind of strong as Ruby, but she also forgot what she promised herself she wouldn't. She was dangerous, human or wolf. Everyone that she had let in to her heart had been hurt in one way or another; especially those who were fortunate enough to steal her heart- or in the process of- would meet a horrible demise. Ruby didn't know that. She was blissfully unaware of the second curse that seemed to follow Red.

But she knew now. How could she not? It was real, a real hard fact that she had to remember or risk another person's life.

"Ruby?"

Ruby picked up her head and looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes. A small, genuine smile spread on her face, "Hey, Archie."

The red head shuffled his feet in front of her seat on a park bench. He rubbed the back of his head, "You looked distracted."

"More and more each day," she nodded to the empty spot next to her. He took the seat quickly and she noticed, "No Pongo today?"

"Henry offered to walk him for me today," Archie breathed out as if he was holding his breath, "Anything to keep his mind off of current events."

"Yeah, it's a little crazy around here, even with Emma and Mary Margaret back," Ruby nodded and rubbed her hands together in thought, "I have a question."

"Shoot," he leaned back against the bench and threw one of his arms over the back of the bench, barely missing her shoulder blade.

"Are you ever unsure?"

"Of many things," he nodded with a tilt up of one of side of his mouth, "Anything in particular?"

"Like what is real and what isn't," she turned her body to face him and pulled one of her legs into her chest with her arms while the other hung over the side of the bench, just shy of hitting his, knee to knee.

"Are you having any delusions?" he asked with a good natured chuckle.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" she giggled back and tapped the side of her head, "To get in there and figure out what makes me tick."

"I already know you're secrets, Ruby," he reminded her with a soft smile, "You haven't scared me off yet."

"Surprising, but true," she nodded and rested her chin on the knee pulled toward her, "But seriously…"

"Hm," he hummed, looked up at the sky and took a deep breath to think it over as he usually did while she asked a particularly deep question. He seemed to love those. He let out the breath slowly and turned his eyes to rest on her, "Sometimes, when I was just Archie, I had strange dreams and woke up wondering what was real. Then the curse would slam me back into 'reality' and would forget all about my dreams of being a cricket. Something like that?"

"No, not quite," she shook her head and took a look up at some clouds hanging over city hall in a pretty arrangement, "We now have two lives in our heads. Two lives of regrets and lessons, of friendships and failures. How can we decide which one is more real?"

"Both of them are," Archie said immediately and looked at her with a small frown, "Ruby, you are no less real than you were back home. It's confusing, I know, but you know when things are real. You know when they are not. Even if someone says different. You follow your heart and you will always find the truth."

Ruby smiled at his easy answer and in her heart, she knew she believed it. She tilted her head to the side and shook it in jest, "How do you know the right thing to say at just the right time?"

"It's my superpower according to Henry," Archie smirked and laughed lightly.

"It's fitting," she nodded and clasped her hands over her knee as she thought over her next question, "Do you think that now that I have the wolf, that I am safe?"

"I feel safer with you around, I can't speak for anyone else," he shrugged.

She chuckled lightly, "If I didn't know that you can't lie worth straw, I wouldn't believe you."

"But I always tell the truth," he looked at the sky again.

"Yes, you do," she said softly and put her leg down to reach out toward him. As she did so, her hand passed through the one that was sitting on his knee. He followed her hand as it passed through him and then retreated back to her own lap.

"Then you know what I am going to say now, don't you?" he asked and looked up to her face which was now dripping tears.

"Please don't," she shook her head swiftly, making some of the tears fly from her cheeks, "Just this once. Don't tell me the truth. You don't have to lie, just don't… don't say it."

"An omission is just as bad."

"Let me… let me just have this," she tried to reach again and felt only air. She choked out a sob for a moment and covered her mouth with the hand. The man that wasn't there looked at her as if in pain for her. So much like Archie, but she knew it wasn't, "I wanted to tell you so much. The things I regret are the things that were never said."

"I am sorry, Red," he said in a gentle tone.

She squeezed her eyes shut to try and clear some tears, "So am I. I am sorry I never told you that-"

As she opened her eyes she found the park bench empty. He was never there. He was still dead, killed by an evil witch in his own office trying to help her. He was buried just yesterday under the shade of the forest trees, his umbrella over the top. He was the second man that she had ever let into her heart, and he paid the price just like Peter without knowing what he had done to earn such a fate. She put a hand where her mind had seen him sitting; cold wood answered her touch back.

Ruby questioned what was real and what wasn't because she wondered above all, despite what she has seen, if love was real. If it was the most powerful magic of them all, why it seemed to be poison to those who she chose to share it with?

She took another deep breath and folded herself over the park bench to snuggle into the imagined warmth he might have left behind. As another sob left her throat she closed her eyes and let out the last of her confession. A confession he had never heard, and never would. The last real thing that she knew for sure.

"…that I love you."

END

**A/N**: Was trying to make this seem like Snow and Emma had just gotten back, but in reality, it was during 'The Cricket Game'. Guess she was having delusions after all. A bit on the depressing side, but it popped into my head and here is the result. More to come, my readers!


	3. Just A Man

**A/N**: Saw this prompt in tumblr and thought that I would take a whack at it: "Red falling for Jiminy when he was still a cricket." Now, how to approach it…?

"**Just a Man**"

Red's eyes flashed silver by the light of the full moon. Her red hood hugged tight around her body in an attempt to make sure that the wolf would stay at bay in the early moonlit hours. She would run soon enough, but she needed just a little more time to make sure she had the wolf under control and it wouldn't rampage through the castle.

It had been at least two years since it had happened. Since she lost Peter to her darker half. The wolf maliciously killed more than once before that, but it had never been one that she had loved so dearly and was so close to. It had also been one year since she lost her mother by her human half while she protected her sister, Snow. Now, she sat in the woods, looking at the moon and tried to find some kind of peace of mind and balance between the monster wolf within and the human monster outside.

The lights of the castle seemed warm and far enough away that she wouldn't cause damage. She wouldn't forgive herself if she caused any kind of damage to Snow or James. They had enough to deal with. They were going to take back their kingdoms and they needed all the help that they could get against Regina and King George. The two dictators were bad on their own right, but together they were too strong and too ruthless.

Red was adamant that Granny stayed in the castle for the next couple of nights during wolf's time. Out in the woods she knew that there were rabbits and small game that her wolf side would love to hunt in the nights ahead. There should be no reason for humans to be anywhere near her. No one would be harmed. She was in control, but she didn't want Granny to see just how much.

She shivered just slightly even through her hood. It was nights like these that she was grateful for the fur that covered her in wolf form.

"Red?"

She spun and gasped at the close voice. She would have heard the footsteps. How did they get so close? Her eyes scanned the trees and her close surroundings, until her eyes settled on a floating, green body.

"Jiminy…" she sighed and put a hand to her chest to slow her beating heart.

"What are you doing so far out here?" he asked and landed on one of her hands that she held out to him.

"Snow never told you?" she asked and tilted her head to the side.

"I never talk of another without their presence," he explained and then rethought it, "Unless it is someone that must be dealt with. It is rude otherwise."

"This is something of a ritual for me during the full moon," she looked up at the large orb once again and turned to her small friend, "Why don't you go back in?"

"I wouldn't want to leave you alone out here," he shook his head.

"Then you may not like what you may see," she warned him. She had many friends that had run once they had learned of her other form. The only ones who had not were Granny, who knew of the change to begin with, and Snow who only wanted to help her friend.

"Maybe, maybe not," he nodded in understanding, "but life is full of atrocities or un-pleasantries. I would be a monster if I let you face that alone. Given, I can't do much in a small form, but company does wonders."

Her eyes softened at his words, "You are a true gentleman, Jiminy."

He would have blushed if he could and coughed into his cricket hand, "I try my best. It's one thing that I am happy that I retained from my time as a human man."

"It's hard to think that you were ever a human," she smiled at her friend, "You seem too special to be just a man."

"Thank you for the compliment," he bowed quickly.

"Well, if you are so sure about staying with me, I should get on with it," she sighed and put him on a high branch on the closest tree.

She pulled the clasp of the hood and let it pool over a fallen log. She closed her eyes as they began to change into a gold color and her body fell forward. Her form changed to that of a beautiful, large wolf. She howled as her head reared up and the change was complete. With a shake she settled into the new form and felt the ground of the woods pliant under her pads. Her mind settled and she huffed, thankful she was still in control even in her wolf form. She looked up toward the tree where Jiminy still sat, his mandibles open in shock.

"_I told you that you may not like what you see_," she growled up at the branch, sure that he wouldn't understand her.

"Don't take my surprise for distaste, Red," he flew down from the branch and looked her in her golden eyes which widened at his words, "You still look quite beautiful and I can still tell that it is you."

"_You understand me…_" she looked shocked at her whole head tilted to the side.

"Of course," he nodded still floating by her head, "I am a cricket after all. I assume that is the reason I can talk with both human and animal."

"_No one has ever heard my voice in this form_," she sat back on her haunches and stared at him as he landed on the woodland floor, still staring at her, "_Much less listened to me_."

"Then I am honored to be the first," he bowed with a flourish and her tail wagged in response.

"_Jiminy…_" she started and leaned forward to push her nose toward him and looked him in his large eyes, "_Have you ever been on a run under the full light of the moon?_"

"I can't say that I have," he shook his head.

"_Well, here is your chance_," she shifted her eyes to her back, "_Climb on and hold on tight._"

"I couldn't," he shook his hands at her.

"_I insist_," she pushed at him, her nose under his legs and tossed him on her back. Before he could fully recover, she howled out a loud, "_Hold on!_"

Her feet leapt as if they had a mind of their own. She felt a pull on her fur around her neck, where she was sure her passenger was still hanging on. She laughed as she bounded through the trees and jumped over small gorges and streams. After a few minutes, she didn't hear anything from her friend until his voice hit her ears over the wind.

"Red!" he said loudly and gripped tighter to her fur.

"_How are you doing, Jiminy?_" she asked a little concerned for her friend. She had never had anyone on a run with her except for the time with her mother and her pack.

"I hate to ask…" he paused and she thought that he would ask her to stop or slow down. Then she was reminded to never assume anything with her small friend, "Can you go any faster?"

She grinned and her canine teeth shone brightly in the strong moonlight, "_Just watch me_."

Red ran for the good part of the early night; her wolf form jumping and leaping from stone to woodland floor. Her passenger and friend laughing with her in the fun. About half way through the night she had trotted to a small pool of water that had formed from a slow draining water fall. She lay down next to the water and lapped up some of the refreshing drink. She felt Jiminy slide off her back and he stumbled once he hit the ground.

"_So… what did you think_?" she asked with a wolf smirk.

"That was the most exhilarating experience of my life," he said in truthfulness. He leaned over the water and scooped some to his own mouth.

"_I knew it_," she said proudly and rolled onto her back. She rolled in the lush grass and looked up at the full moon above.

"Is that what you do on full moon nights?" he flew over her and blocked the image of the moon, "You run?"

"_And hunt if the mood strikes me_," she turned to her side and let him land on the ground, "_But I fell sated for now. No hunt tonight_."

"Are you going to come out tomorrow night?" he asked.

She nodded, "_I only get wolf's time two or three times a month. As much as Granny doesn't like it, I need to stay in touch with my wolf side. It's part of who I am, even though it makes me a monster._"

"You are no monster, Red," Jiminy placed a small hand on her paw.

"_You have no idea what I have done when I am like this, Jiminy. I have done horrible things_," she whined deep in her throat that reminded her of a pup more than a wolf.

"Then tell me," he sat in the grass just in front of her and blinked up at her patiently.

"_You definitely won't like what you will hear_," she shook her head and laid her ears back in worry, "_I don't want to lose a friend as good as you to my past deeds_."

"You did not run from me when I told you mine," he reminded her, "I will not run from you. I refuse to. Ever."

Her ears flicked forward and she laid her head before him, "_Why are you so good to me, Jiminy?_"

"Because you deserve it, even if you don't believe you do," he smiled sadly and patted her on her muzzle, "Now, tell me."

The rest of the night she spent telling him her story. How she had lost her parents to hunters, only to realize much later that her mother was alive and well. How she had killed the only man that she had ever loved and a year later how she had killed her mother to protect the only family that hadn't run or shamed her. She told him of the countless farmers or hunters that had fallen under her jaws before she knew what she was. Every name or memory that she had she would look to Jiminy who would only nod for her to continue. He was patient and kind and reserved no judgment. Just an ear that she didn't know she had needed so badly.

"_And now, here I am, neither human or wolf… just me_," she said sadly and huffed into the lush grass she had settled into.

Jiminy stood and stared her in the eyes, "And that's all you will ever need to be."

In that instance, Red felt something in her heart fill and warm the rest of her- something that she hadn't felt in over two years. She furrowed her brows and looked at Jiminy Cricket in a whole new light. He may be a cricket, but he was the only man that had ever listened to her. He didn't judge, didn't run… only listened and reassured her that she was enough. And she believed him.

"_Thank you, Jiminy_," she said in a whisper.

"It's my pleasure, Red," he patted the side of her muzzle and looked at the high moon, "I never noticed how stunning the moon was. I guess it all depends on who you share it with."

"_That's true_," she nodded and looked at even the moon in a different light. Tonight, it seemed brighter. Almost more real. She flicked her eyes back to the cricket in front of her and a whine fell from her without her consent.

"What's wrong?" he asked in haste.

"_Just…_" she shook her head, _"… sometimes, Jiminy, you make me wish you were still human._"

"Just a man?" he asked with a resigned tone.

"_You were never __**just**__ a man_," she reminded him and tilted her head back to motion him to get on, "_Let's get back to my hood and we can get back to the castle to get some sleep_."

Red kept her eyes on the trees and rocks that she leapt through and around, locked on the scent of her hood in the distance. Her mind though, thought of the cricket on her back that made her feel like Peter was back again; like he had never left… except that this wasn't the same. It was so much better. It confused her, but made her feel safe, protected. Because if he knew it or not, Jiminy Cricket now protected the most fragile part of her.

Her heart.

…

On the way to the castle, Jiminy sat on Red's shoulder and leaned against the outside of her red hood, now knowing its true purpose. She hummed a more upbeat tune as they walked through the halls. As she stopped in front of Gepetto's door she held a hand up to her shoulder and held the cricket in front of her.

"Thank you for running with me tonight," she said to him with a smile.

"Thank you for the invitation," he nodded back and bowed toward her, "I hope that we can do it again tomorrow."

"I will be at the same spot," she nodded in agreement. She suddenly leaned forward and gave him a peck on the top of his head, careful of his antennae. The kiss was brief and she leaned back quickly, "You have no idea how much it means to me that you listened and were there."

"I-I will always be here for you," he said and flew off her hand to land on the small perch built into the door for him, "Until tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Jiminy," she nodded with a small blush upon her cheeks. She walked down the hallway and turned into her room at the far end.

Jiminy went straight into his room and then to the large window, close to where he had made a makeshift bed on the ledge. He looked up at the moon and smiled to himself. He now wondered if he had lived all this time not for Gepetto, but to meet and fall in love with her. A love he knew that could never be.

He still smiled because the time, the years and the consequent pain of her finding love with another was worth it - just knowing her.

But he couldn't help but muse, "If only I was just a man…"

END


	4. Holding Hands

**A/N**: A thought and touch on all the interactions we saw and the ones that were missed. Not to mention the ones yet to come.

"**Holding Hands"**

They were never close before Emma came to town. She would sweet talk cute guys at the diner, but only paid him attention for his orders and refills on coffee. It was fine for him; he had his patients to pay attention to. They had a simple and carefree agreement: you order coffee, I get you coffee. Unless he passed by with that adorable Dalmatian of his and then the dog got most of the attention from the red clad waitress. She would give him and thank you, toss a vanilla wafer at the dog and would go back inside the diner. Simple nod of the head is all the interaction needed.

Until that one day.

Marco slammed open the diner door and looked for anyone to help him. Archie and Henry were stuck in the old mines. No one could reach them. Her heart immediately jumped to her throat. She never felt that panic before. She didn't know if it was for Henry, the poor kid, or for Archie.

"Granny! I am going to help!" Ruby threw her apron down and ran out with Marco to the mines.

She sat with Pongo and tried to keep the dog calm. She distracted herself with Billy and flirting back and forth with him, while her mind was really on the progress rescuing Archie and Henry. She held her breath when he was pulled out just after Henry and Marco grabbed him in a tight hug. She smiled gratefully at his safe return and caught his eye as both Emma and Mayor Mills coddled over Henry. He smiled back gently and waved at her. She waved back with a tilt of her fingers and turned back to Billy to save face.

* * *

After the rescue from the cave in, Ruby found herself drawn closer to Archie. She smiled when he came in and paid close attention to his regular order. She found him to be the only guy who didn't try to grab at her and it was refreshing. Losing him, even for a few hours, really affected her in a way she didn't think that it would. She missed him. She was also scared to lose him.

When the diner was slow one night she put the coffee jug back on the burner and then quickly made it back to his booth. She plopped herself on the opposite side from him and he flicked his eyes up from the file he was reading from.

"Hello, Ruby," he greeted from his seat.

"Hey, Doc," she said with a large smile and a giggle, "How's life?"

"Have been in worse spots," he said and set down the file after he took a sip of his coffee, "I finally made a dent in the all powerful Regina, I believe."

"Good," she smirked and sat back in her seat, "It's about time that she sees the flaws in her almightiness. How'd you do it?"

"Well worded statements of my professional field," he chuckled and leaned back in his seat to mirror her, "You know, I think that this is the first time that we have had an actual conversation outside of my orders."

Ruby paused and thought back to any other possible moments he may be missing, but could find none, "I guess you're right."

"Why is that?" he asked and folded his hands over on the table.

"I…" she paused again and tilted her head. She ran through her memories and found them foggy and unsure if they really happened. She chuckled to herself and shook her head, "I have no idea."

"Neither do I."

She chuckled again and he laughed with her. They took the rest of the night playing catch up. Granny didn't seem to mind.

* * *

Months later, Mary Margaret was welcomed back home. Granny and Ruby had talked Archie into coming along with them to welcome her back. Given, it didn't take much as he felt bad for not being on her side when he knew deep down that she would never kill anyone. He gave her his well wishes, as did Granny and Ruby. The rest of the time, he couldn't seem to pry himself away from the younger Lucas woman.

"Here you go," he handed over the last cup of punch over to her while he held his own. Her hand seemed to linger over his larger one as she took the cup, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Thanks, Archie," she smiled and looked into the red liquid. Her eyes traveled over to Mary Margaret and Emma, "She's happier, but still upset."

"It's probably about David," Archie surmised, "At least that's what I expect."

"Hm," Ruby hummed and sipped from the cup. She leaned against the wall next to one of the large windows, "Sometimes I think that he may be more trouble than he is worth."

"I've noticed something," Archie said as he stood next to her.

"What's that?" she asked with a smile.

"You've changed," he pointed with the hand still around the glass.

"And?" she urged him forward. Granny and others had seen it. She had changed. Took more pride in what she did, more care in how she handled Granny and those close to her and she began to respect herself- which seemed like the largest step of them all, "What does that say about my psyche?"

"No, nothing about your psyche," he shook his head, "You're just becoming you. A you that you kept buried to keep safe. I'm glad I am finally seeing it along with everyone else."

"I just… I was tired of being a scared kid," she shrugged and looked at him closely, "I work so hard to make Granny see that I am so grown up. Then when I finally do something, I freak and find out I am still a kid in so many ways. Then I found that I was keeping myself from growing up. Not Granny, not the people in this town… me."

"So?"

"I wanted to change," she nodded and smiled into her cup before she met his eyes, "To be me, not who I expected that everyone thought was me… does that make sense?"

"More than you would think," he nodded and took a sip as he looked out the window.

"So how much is this session going to cost me?" she chuckled at the joke and reveled in the fact that he laughed along with her.

"You get the family and friend's discount," he shrugged, "On the house for the first session."

"See you for the next session tomorrow over coffee?" she asked with a slight tilt of her eyebrow.

"You know my booth," he nodded.

"And I will keep it open for you."

* * *

The curse was finally broken. The mist was clearing and everything was so surreal. Ruby- or Red- found herself surrounded by all those who she held dear. Her Granny held tight in her grasp, Snow- a sister not of blood- bounded around the corner with her husband and the royal guard not too far behind them. Emma… the savior with her son reunited at long last with the family she never knew she had. Just as everything began to fall back into place, Jiminy came running toward them. His eyes barely met hers before he turned to lead them toward Regina's.

There came the panic and the want for retribution. The whole town wanted Regina's blood for what she had done. Their small group, the War Table, was the only thing stopping Whale and the mob he had incited from killing her.

As Snow and Charming talked down the townsfolk and stood against Whale, Ruby kept her eyes trained on Regina. The wolf in her knew Regina to be more evil and more powerful than what she was here. Regina was something to be feared and to be loathed, something to protect against.

Without a second thought, her arm went through the crook of someone's arm as if it was second nature. Her fingers tensed and relaxed against the worn leather of a jacket. Her eyes, still trained on Regina, lifted just barely to flick up to the owner's face. She saw Archie- or Jiminy, she now thought- with his jaw clenched and a furrowed brow. He didn't like the idea of bloodshed, but he too couldn't seem to let his eyes stray from the evil queen in case she tried something. Red's hand tightened again around his arm and one of his hands came up to rest over hers as the scene unfolded. A reminder that he knew she was there and wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

Strange that she thought the same exact thing about him.

* * *

Archie sat in his office and sorted through the bundles of papers of all his new patients. More and more of them were coming to him to see what they could figure out. How much of their lives were lies and how many of their memories were real? He now thought over those questions in effect of his own life. Who was Archie Hopper? Who was Jiminy Cricket? Maybe David was right. He was a bit of both; no longer one or the other.

A knock on the door tore him from his thoughts and Pongo muffled a small bark from his bed in the corner. Archie put out a hand as if to stop him from barking further and opened the door. There, standing in the bright light of the hallway, was Ruby.

"Ruby!" Archie said surprised and stepped back a little.

"I needed to talk with someone. You're the first person I thought of," she whispered and looked him in the eyes, "Not a session, not a psychiatric evaluation… I just want to talk with a friend."

"Okay," he nodded quickly and held out a hand to her, "Then let's talk."

She let out a relived breath and took his hand as he led her into the office. He helped her sit on the couch and instead of sitting in his own chair; he opted to sit next to her. She asked for a friendly ear and not the psychiatrist. He would do his best to be that friend, as always.

"I lost my only sister," she started and looked at her lap where one of her hands picked at her dark jeans, "… Snow is gone."

"Ruby," he whispered and gripped the hand that he still held in one of his, "We will find a way to get them back. David will not stop until they are both back, her and Emma."

"And if there isn't a way back for them?" Ruby asked in a strained voice, "What then?"

"Then we continue to fight and find another way," he repeated and clasped her hand between both of his, "We can't give up."

"You almost did," she said with a little more bite than she meant to. She immediately caught herself and shook her head, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No, you're right," he nodded and she finally looked up into his eyes, which held regret and guilt, "I gave up and was ready to leave Jiminy behind."

"What made you turn back?"

"David was right. As confusing as it is… Jiminy is who I am, as is Archie. I am both and I can't change that," he shook his head, "No matter how scared I am. We beat Regina before and good always prevails. Always… I have to believe that."

"You really believe that we will get Snow back?" Ruby asked in a whisper.

"We have to," he smiled hesitantly at his own answer.

"I am scared too," she said suddenly and he felt her arms begin to shake slightly.

"You aren't scared of anything," he reminded her and kept a light joking to his voice.

"I am scared of myself," she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, "The wolf is very real a wolf's time is coming… I am out of practice. What if… what if I kill again?"

Archie took one of his hands from hers and pushed her chin up to grab her attention back to him, "You won't."

"How are you so sure?" she asked with deep furrowed brows.

"Because it is part of you just like Red and just like Ruby. And though it may be terrifying at times… it is still as beautiful and good as the other two."

She smiled slightly and took a deep breath to push back her tears, "How do you know what to say?"

"I've had a lot of practice," he answered and she put her other hand to join the other still in his grasp.

* * *

Ruby sat on one of the benches outside of the diner and looked over at the building across the street. She was standing right here as that witch chocked the life out of him. She saw her go in and something felt off, but she just sat here. She cleaned off table tops and scrubbed coffee pots while he lay over his office floor dead or dying. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath of Maine air.

"You will not do this to yourself, Ruby," she whispered to herself and shut her eyes as she thought about him and when he would come into the diner. She felt her throat constrict as the memories of slight touches between handing over coffee cups, caressed hands when he talked with her and the way his eyes bore into hers to find the truth that she fought so hard to keep from others. A hiccup of a sob escaped as the thought of him never coming into the diner again hit home.

He would never sit at his booth. Never walk by toward the end of the night to walk her home with Pongo leading the way. Never tell her how much her friendship meant to others, especially him. Never hear his umbrella click on the linoleum of their floors. Never… never smile at her and make her heart skip a beat like it had just last Friday. Never tell her how nice she looked even though she had just thrown on something and he knew it. He… he would never…

She gasped as another thought crashed through her mind.

It was the worst of them all. A regret.

She would never be able to tell him what he really meant to her.

With a small cry into her jacket sleeve she looked up at the dark clouds above her, "Why is it that you want to take everyone I love…?"

A tear escaped down her face and she could only think of one thing. How much she wanted to hold him in her arms. The wolf never howled louder inside her mind before that moment.

* * *

Ruby threw herself into her work and didn't stop to chat with too many of her friends while they stopped by the diner. Many of them didn't think that it was a good time to chat on anything lighthearted while they had just buried a friend the day before.

Her mind a blank slate and her emotions shot, Ruby continued to bus tables and cleared off the last one that Happy and Doc had just left. She took a deep breath and heard the diner bell ring as yet another customer came in. She registered it, but didn't react much to it. She was losing herself, she could feel it. She couldn't do that. Not again.

She felt that the newest patron had stopped just inside the doorway. Maybe they were waiting for the table, she didn't know. As she picked up the last glass she turned to tell them that the booth was theirs until her eyes connected with the bright blue ones she had known so well.

The plates that she had gathered along with the glass mugs fell to the floor, many of them breaking and shattering on impact. She took a deep breath and shook her head as the vision of Archie Hopper stood just inside the diner doorway. A hand covered her mouth in surprise and shock as her mind rushed to catch up to the million thoughts racing through it.

"Ruby," he smiled awkwardly and stepped forward.

Then it all made sense. In two words, her world fell back into working order.

He's alive.

"Oh God, Archie!" she yelled and ran over the crushed porcelain and glass and nearly threw herself into his arms. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck while his own arms wrapped around her small waist. They gripped at one another as if to make sure that it was real. That they were both really there with one another.

After a moment she leaned back and moved her arms to cradle his face between her hands. She looked over his face and his eyes and every single freckle that she had committed to memory. She choked on tears in her throat and she smiled despite her cries, "You're alive."

"Yes, I am," he nodded with a smile and wiped the few tears that had started to fall.

"Good, because I have something I need to tell you that I should have said a while back," she said quietly and he furrowed his brows just slightly in confusion as to what it would be. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down just slightly as she kissed him hard on his lips. Her eyes already closed, her other senses went into overdrive. She heard him gasp against her lips and his arms loosened just a bit. When she thought he was going to pull away, his arms tightened again and his lips moved against hers.

After moment or two she pulled back and smiled brightly up at her long time friend, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he shook his head, his face reflecting the large smile on hers, "I should have told you, too."

He took a look around them and saw the many pairs of eyes who were now trained on the two of them. He cleared his throat and shifted his head to the different tables, "I think we should continue this in a more private setting."

"Good idea," she nodded and turned her head toward the back of the diner, "Granny, I-"

"I know, I know," Granny waved at her to go as she came out with a large dust pan to clean up the mess, "Good to see you back, Archie. You two go."

"Thank you," Ruby smiled and grabbed his hand as they both walked out of the diner and toward his apartment.

* * *

Everyday Ruby finds herself feeling lucky. She could only think that it was because that every day she held hands, kissed and was with the best man she had ever known. A man that she now called hers and he called her his.


	5. Passing Through

**A/N**: This one came to me when I was playing a little game online. I was playing with different outfits on a virtual doll that looked like Ruby. When one made her look like a gypsy or someone who travels in a caravan… well, I thought of a certain _young_ man who also traveled in a covered wagon with his parents. What if these two crossed paths in a large town one day? That's right young!Jiminy and Performer!Red AU coming at you.

"**Passing Through**"

Jiminy had hoped that they had enough money for the week. They had already passed through two smaller townships on the way to their next destination and made a good amount of profit, even without the money from the pick pocketing he had to go through yet again. Surely, his parents would be somewhat happy with what he had pilfered from the crowd. They also scammed a young mother out of her silver candle sticks that were heirlooms. He was so tired of stealing from people. Going on twenty- six years, he was so tired of doing this to others. He wanted to be honest, he wanted to be… good.

"Jiminy," his mother called from the front of their wagon.

He stumbled over a few of their conquests and his father's sleeping form to open the small window that opened to the driver, "Yes, mother?"

"We should be arriving in Snowland soon," she smiled deviously and all his hopes of lying low in the large city were dashed.

"Why don't we just be good for once and leave the people alone?" Jiminy asked and put his hands on the window sill.

She sighed and groaned a little in annoyance as she shot him another look, "Better that we take advantage of them-"

"Before they take advantage of us," he repeated in a sorrowful tone and nodded in understanding, "What did you need me for?"

"Finish the driving, will you?" she asked and slowed the horses for him to get out, "I would like a rest."

"We just left an hour ago," he frowned, but made the movements to come out to the driver's seat, "You said that I would be okay to rest for the rest of the trip."

"But my bones are achy and my muscles are acting up again," she whined and held her hand pinched between her other hand, "I can't hold them well."

Jiminy nodded and hopped out of the wagon to jump into the driver's seat as the wagon still rolled along. He stopped the horses completely as his mother climbed into the back of the wagon and fell into a good, comfortable sleep beside his father. He flicked the reigns lightly and pushed the horses toward the large city in the distance.

The horses looked like they were tired as well and Jiminy reached forward to pat them both on the back gently, "You both and I will take a nice needed rest after we get into the city. I will make sure of it."

Once at the gates of the large and, by the looks of it, rich city Jiminy told the gate guards that he was part of a puppet show that his parents owned. He showed the guards the back of his wagon and pointed out his parent's sleeping forms. The guards nodded and ushered him through.

"We require that all performances are held in the town square. There is a large patch of grazing land for your animals and places to settle along the west end of the square," one guard recited to him.

"Thank you," Jiminy nodded in genuine thanks and led the horses and the wagon to the west side of the square, were there was a large field. He settled the wagon without any help from his slumbering parents and made sure it was stable while he let the two old horses out to the field, but kept them on long tethers in case of their wandering ways. He put off setting up for the show until he could see what exactly he was up against as far as space and audience.

In town square there seemed to be a few groups already performing, belonging to one larger group. He watched a juggling act, a human pyramid and a small freak show. Each was wondrous in its own way and so entertaining, but what really grabbed his attention was a large stage at the middle of the other shows. It had material hung around it like a shroud, shielding curious eyes from the real show about to begin. He walked himself toward the front as a man in fine wear introduced the performance.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he started and looked at the large crowd, his skin strangely shimmering in the sunlight, as if made from metal. A woman in a shimmering gold dress stood next to the material, ready to unveil the next show; blue ribbons decorating her chestnut hair, "I hope you have been enjoying my show. Name is Gold, and here I introduce one of our main attractions. The Temptress of the Beasts!"

He waved his hand toward the main curtain and it dropped with a pull from golden beauty. People gathered and gasped as caged beasts curved around the stage with a single figure in the middle, a large red cape and hood throwing them in mystery. The cages rattled and clanged as the predators began to pound against them. There was a large gryphon at the far left, its neck squeezed gently by a large gold collar. The middle was what looked like a unicorn with dark coloring. At the very end was a rather large wolf which seemed to pace the cage, its eyes locked on the figure on the stage.

"Watch as she sets each of these beasts free and tames each with not a word," Gold announced as the gold beauty settled beside him, "At least not ones that we hear or understand."

The now proclaimed woman stood up and the hood over her head fell back. Jiminy, now enthralled with the show, gasped at who he saw. Her black, raven hair cascaded in curls down her shoulders and back. Her eye lids opened to bright green- almost silver eyes, her face angular and young. Her red lips pouted and parted in a deep breath. Jiminy found he was leaning toward the stage further, as did some of the other patrons.

The woman let the cloak fall from her completely. It pooled at her feet as her top, reminding Jiminy of descriptions of gypsies, shone red and dark brown in the light. A dark skirt that swayed with her hips adorned her hips down to her knees, her skin showing along the rest of her legs.

She turned to the unicorn first and opened the cage. The large steed stood at least a foot above her head. It reared back in its cage and flashed its bright horn toward the maiden. The woman calmly put out both palms toward the animal and locked eyes with the mighty steed. It instantly calmed and she made a sound that sounded like nothing that Jiminy had ever heard. She stepped back and the unicorn followed her out of its cage and onto the large stage.

Gold stood near the crowd and began to announce once again, "She how she whispers to the beautiful beast, caresses it with her sounds and it is no longer afraid."

The woman put her hands on the unicorn's muzzle and she whispered unknown sounds to it. It nuzzled her face, tapped her with its horn and then trotted around the stage by just the guide of her hand. She put up her hand and it stood on its back hooves, standing and then walking with its front hooves in the air. She spun in the middle of the stage, dancing to unheard music. The unicorn spun with her with happy whinnies. She smiled at the well done trick and brought her hand down to bring the unicorn back down on all four hooves and then led it back to its cage.

"Next, she tames a gryphon!" Gold pointed to the far left cage, where the animal was screeching and clawing at the bars, "The beast was found with knights bones and flesh still in its claws."

Jiminy clenched his teeth at the screech and suddenly felt protectiveness toward the woman approaching the new cage. He knew he had no right to such a feeling, but he had it none the less. He felt the fear expand in his chest and she flung open the front of the cage.

The beast leaned back and in a fluid movement lurched forward and caught the woman in its outreached paws. It immediately flew up with her still in its possession. Jiminy felt his body leap forward to look toward the sky as everyone else cried in terror at the animal and the woman who was taken. They were both a speck in the sky and then the speck began to grow as the beast came closer and back down to earth. People began to cry and step back from the stage. Jiminy stayed put, unsure of the woman's fate and looked at Gold who stood with a smile at his face, simply watching the sky.

As the gryphon came closer, it reached out toward the crowd and then immediately rose back up, missing them at the last instant. It did a loop in the air and then landed softly on the stage with a few flaps of its wings. There on its back was the woman, caressing the feathers along its neck and gripping at the gold collar. The gryphon called out in a soft screech and the woman slipped off of its back, uninjured and carefully petting along the gryphon's back. Jiminy let out a breath of relief and watched her lead it back to its cage where it laid down and settled in for a nap. The whole audience clapped at the amazing show of aerial feats, until she turned to the last cage.

"And the last beast!" Gold pointed to the last cage, "It may look like in ordinary wolf, but look upon its size and its ferocity."

There, the large gray wolf lurched at the bars at the woman, its jaws snapping and snarling. The woman only stood and stared at the beast with calm indifference.

"This, ladies and lads is not a normal wolf," Gold repeated, "It is a werewolf. Stuck forever in its primal shape from a curse that could no longer be lifted. Who would dare to tame such a beast? A monster?"

As the wolf leaped again and the bar, the woman suddenly lurched back at the wolf, a large and menacing growl dropped from her lips. The wolf stepped back, not out of fear, but of curiosity as if it heard her command. She opened the cage door and the monster stepped on stage, out of the protection of the metal cage. The woman and wolf began to pace around one another, ignoring the screams and gasps of the audience. The wolf leapt at her with snapping jaws and just barely missed her, catching some of her skirt instead. She turned from the attack and made one of her own, her hands and nails, catching the nape of the wolf's neck. With strength unknown even to the strongest of men, she threw the wolf on its back and covered its form with her own; both of her arms on either side of its head and her teeth clenched in a snarl over the wolf's face.

Jiminy felt his heart speed again as the wolf could snap off her head at its earliest convenience and then turn to the rest of them. Instead, the monster, the mighty wolf, turned from the woman on top of it and whined in surrender. Its tail moved to cover itself and its paws up toward its chest to cover its weak points. She growled again at the animal and moved to stand at her full height. The animal turned back on its feet and crawled over to her to lay at her feet. She knelt, looked at the animal in the eyes and the wolf licked her on the face before it moved around her and laid back in its cage. She moved calmly to its cage and locked it inside one again before she whispered something low to the animal.

"And with that, ladies and gents, the Temptress has tamed even the most vicious of monsters!" Gold announced and the audience erupted in claps and began to throw pieces toward the stage.

The woman seemed to ignore the money at her feet and calmly picked the hood from where she dropped it on the stage. As she tied it around her neck she looked out on the audience and caught Jiminy's bright blue eyes. He gasped a little at the small exchange and she only smiled slightly with a wave. He went to wave back when a large hand covered his shoulder.

"There you are, Jiminy," his father chuckled and looked at the stages that were nearby, "If they have this kind of entertainment, they must be rolling in their money at night. They surely wouldn't miss a few shillings here and there."

"Maybe even some gold pieces," his mother added and tapped Jiminy on the chest, "Good idea to look at what we are dealing with. Let's get the show up."

His parents smiled at one another and walked back toward the wagon. Jiminy sighed heavily and turned back to the stage to see the woman one more time, but she was gone.

* * *

Jiminy huffed back to the wagon, his large satchel filled with what his parents managed to embezzle from a local public servant. He would be missing his silver dining set whenever his wife came home. Of course, he was chosen to take it back to the wagon since his parents wanted to see the sights of a large city. He threw the set in the back of the wagon and closed the door. He leaned back against it and looked out at the field where he let his horses prance earlier.

Instead, he saw both of his horses knelt in the grass with a single form. His horses would take turn nuzzling her cheeks and nibble at her hair. Her long, dark tresses he knew all too well from earlier in the day. Jiminy made his way out into the field and came closer to the woman with his horses. As he came closer she picked up her head from the attention of the two horses and met his eyes again.

"Hello again," she greeted with a smile and patted the nose of the mare, "…Jiminy."

"How did you know my name?" he asked with a whisper.

"They told me," she looked at both horses and huffed at them as if she was a horse herself. They both got up from the grass and began to run around the field with one another, "Don't worry, they won't go far."

"How do you do it?" he asked as he watched after the horses and then turned back to her.

"That's a secret I can't tell just anyone," she smiled again and stood up from the grass, "They told me that you take really good care of them despite the other two that travel with you."

"My parents," he nodded and huffed out a laugh, "They don't take care of them at all. It's a surprise that they didn't end up killing them once or twice."

"You care about them," she nodded and began to walk without knowing if he would follow or not. It seemed like she didn't need to worry since he fell into step with her only a few paces later. She suddenly stopped again and turned toward him, making him nearly trip in his hast, "They call me Red."

"Red," he nodded and looked at her wardrobe which was the same except for the cloak, "It fits."

She giggled slightly and began to walk again until they were under a large tree with a few carts and tents nearby. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't stop following her. Maybe it was her magnetism that didn't just affect animals, but people as well.

"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked and sat on a large drum that he saw as a background item at the juggler's show.

"I did," he nodded and looked to his side to see the large wolf prowling toward them. He turned again to make sure he saw what he did. He took a few steps back and took a deep breath.

"Don't worry," she smiled and hopped off the drum to comb a hand through the wolf's fur. It panted a little, licked her again on the cheek and then trotted to the nearest tent. She smiled at the wolf and turned to Jiminy, "He knows not to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it."

Jiminy stretched out his shirt collar and chuckled uneasily, "And how would you know I don't deserve it?"

"Despite from what your mare and stallion had told me?" she chuckled good naturedly and took a step toward him. She was close enough to touch him, but instead she took a long sniff over his pulse point on his neck and smiled brighter, "I can tell these things."

"Another secret talent?" he asked and unconsciously rubbed the spot she just sniffed.

"You can call it that," she leaned against the tall boxes and looked at the man in front of her, "I've never seen you at this city before. New to this trade route?"

"Just passing through," he answered and leaned against the post from one of the tents, "As always… always passing through."

"I know how that can be," she shrugged and looked at her nails as she worried at her top, "Never having roots, never able to stop and settle."

"Why don't you leave and do just that?" he asked with a frown, "It looks like you could do well on your own."

"I have… responsibilities here I have to fulfill," she shrugged as if that answered it.

"I know that," he chuckled sadly and looked at the sky, "My parents are my reason- my responsibility. I can't leave them."

"I would," Red frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, "They seem… untrustworthy."

"You have no idea," he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the post.

"They treat you just as bad- even worse- then the horses," she reasoned with him, "You are a man now. You can walk away."

"Not with his liver and her painful muscles," he phrased his parents, "They need me."

"But you don't need them," she shook her head.

He took a breath to answer, but when he opened his eyes she was right in front of him and all thought of breath left him. She narrowed her eyes and she looked into his and leaned up for a better look, her hands settling on his chest. He looked into her own eyes, her silver irises almost changing to a gold right in front of him. She finally leaned back and he was able to breathe again.

"You are too good of a man for them," she said sadly and looked at the ground before she turned away.

"Everyone has some good in them," he said softly, "It only takes the right person to let it out."

She looked back at him, "You really believe that?"

"I do," he nodded and slowly took his own steps toward her, "No matter what they have done, everyone has a spark of good- even greatness. It just takes another to catch that spark and turn it into a great flame. I had hoped as a boy that I would be the kindling for my parents. I never was."

"But you keep trying," she said as almost a question.

"Yes… and I hope, one day… they will finally catch on," he chuckled and shook his head, "I can dream and wish on stars, but that day has yet to be seen. I won't give up on them. Not yet."

She suddenly turned bashful and held her hands behind her back, "You are wise, too. I wish that I had someone like you to catch a spark of my own. I doubt that I will ever be a grand fire."

"You already are," he said without thinking. Her eyes flew to his and he put his hand over his mouth. His eyes grew large and he started to babble, "I'm sorry, I don't know wh-what- why I spoke out of turn like that."

"No, no, it is okay," she smiled and he could almost see what looked like a tear form in her eye, "People need to hear the good things. Even though they are small or weren't meant to be said out loud. Thank you, Jiminy."

"It's my pleasure, Red," he nodded at her.

"Jiminy! Where are you, son?" his father's voice cried from the wagon's spot at the other edge of the field, "Time to turn in! Long trip coming tomorrow!"

"Coming!" Jiminy shouted back and frowned in disappointment as he turned back to Red who looked down trodden.

"You are leaving tomorrow," she said simply, "I was hoping that you would be staying longer."

"We never stay for long. Just passing through," he shrugged and looked down at the ground, "They think that if we stay too long, someone would want their things back. Better to cut and run, than to stay put."

"Jiminy," she said from in front of him. He looked up in time for her lips to crash against his. She gripped at his collar and pulled him toward her. He was so surprised by the action, that by the time he went to press back, she had let go of his collar and pulled back just slightly. Her lips brushed over his own in a whisper, "You are a good man, Jiminy. Never forget that. You may just be the best of us all."

With that she stepped from him and ran around the tent and back out of his sight. He shook his head and turned to follow her, but she was gone.

"Jiminy!"

"Coming!" he said in an exasperated sigh. He turned from the tents and collected the horses on his way back to the wagon. He tied them to the post with their meal and some water. He patted them both on their flanks and walked to the wagon door.

"Just where have you been?" his mother asked as she took inventory of their new silverware.

"Talking with some of the other performers," he said simply. He looked at both his parents and leaned against the corner of the wagon where he could see the sun set, "They said that the longer you stay the more profit you can accrue."

"Is that so?" his father thought out loud.

"I will not give that deep pocket a chance to get this back," his mother pointed a finger to his father, "We are leaving tomorrow morning. The sooner the better."

His father deflated and kept adding up the money from the show and the money that had been pilfered.

Jiminy stared out the window and her voice repeated in his mind. He was a good man. She believed that and it brought a small smile to his face. He kept the feeling of her in mind; her scent, her hair running over his face, her lips on his and her hands against his chest. He patted the front of his chest where he felt a small sting. He looked down and found a piece of his shirt torn off and a small scratch on his skin. He wondered when it had happened, but shook it off. In the distance he knew the moon had risen as a lone wolf's howl was heard. His parents jumped in surprise and eyed the window warily.

He never felt safer.

* * *

Red sat on the fence surrounding part of the field from the forest line and looked at the spot where a large wagon once stood. She pouted and let out a long, loud sigh. Her ears perked up slightly when another figure leaned over the fence next to her.

"Hey Red, I was wondering where you went off to. No breakfast this morning?" Belle asked as she bit into a rather large strawberry.

"I caught a late night snack," she said with a wolfish grin.

"Good hunting?" Belle looked over her shoulder and back at the forest line.

"You'd be surprised," she shrugged and picked up a piece of cloth that was in her hand to her nose. She took a deep breath and smiled at the comforting scent still ingrained in the rough fibers.

"What's that?"

"A piece of a good man," she smiled and tightened her hold on the fabric.

"Do we need to leave? Did you tear him apart?"

"No, I wouldn't do that to a good man that didn't deserve it," she turned to her friend with a small, sad smile, "Don't you know they are a dying breed? Most of the time they are just passing through."

END


	6. Garden Path

**A/N**: Prompt on this one were a series of words: garden path, bird bath and red rose. Something came to mind about another 'what if' situation on where a very young Red first meets Jiminy. This is not a romance; it's more of an exploration of first meetings. Enjoy.

"**Garden Path"**

"I can't believe your handiwork!" Widow Lucas cooed at the block of wood slowly becoming the likeness of a young boy. She ran a few fingers over the small face, "Your boy is going to be quite a handsome young man."

"Everything I have ever wanted, he will be," Gepetto smiled in pride, "He won't be finished for years yet."

There was a small yet hard tug on Widow Lucas's skirt and she looked down at the small six year old girl at her side, "Yes, Red?"

"Are we going to be going soon?" Red asked with a pout.

"Not much longer, Red," she reassured her granddaughter and turned back to her long time friend, "How many years do you think?"

"Probably not until Little Red grows to a young woman," the friendly toy maker chuckled.

Red turned her attention to other things as the adults began to talk about things like the sudden death of the queen. From what she knew Princess Snow White was her age, maybe a bit older. As the talk turned to yet another boring topic, Red's eyes caught sight of a garden path that wrapped around the side of the toy maker's home. She took a glance at her granny and knew that her' not much longer' was going to last much too long. She sighed when her granny laughed with her friend and made up her mind. Without a word the little girl, still clad in a much too large red cloak, walked from the two adults and down the garden path.

Unseen by the young girl and the two adults, a small green form jumped from the overhanging roof and flew toward the garden.

The young Red jumped from rock to rock on the path and hummed a song to herself. She spun around the small bird bath toward the middle of the garden and scared the birds from the lip of the bath. She then stopped at every flower and greeted them between her breaks in the song.

"Hello, Mister Daffodil," she pursed her lips and turned her head to the side, "And to you Miss Red Rose. You and I have a color in common."

"Along with natural beauty."

Red gasped and turned back to the daffodils, "I have only heard of flowers talking. Alice told me it only happened in a place she called Wonderland. I thought that she made it up."

"Well, Wonderland may be just a dream filled with talking flowers, but I am no flower," a smartly dressed cricket came into view and bowed at Red.

Unsure of what to do, Red yelped at his sudden appearance. At her yelp he jumped back and right into the bird bath. He quickly climbed out of the water and shook out his clothing. As he shook off his umbrella he heard the light laughter of a child.

Red giggled and leaned toward Jiminy who was balancing on the bird bath, "I am sorry, Mister Cricket. I was not expecting you any more than I was expecting a Wonderland flower."

"It is quite all right, Miss Lucas," he waved a reassured hand at her, "Please call me Jiminy."

"You have a nice name, Jiminy," she giggled again.

"Thank you," he bowed, "I heard your grandmother call you Red?"

"It's my favorite color," she nodded enthusiastically, "It's also my name. Momma named me Red before she died."

"It suits you then," he was happy to see that the thought of her mother didn't make her sad.

"I like picking names," she said and sat next to the bird bath so that she was looking up at him. Something that he was definitely not used to. She looked up at the sky and began to name off different names that she could think of, "I like names. Gepetto was listing off names the other day for Granny. Trying to name his puppet."

"I heard. There are quite a few that he is looking at."

"I like Pinocchio," she said suddenly and looked at him again.

"We will see."

"Do you know Gepetto?" she asked and whispered at him loudly, "You know, this is his garden."

Jiminy laughed at her curiosity, "Yes, he is my best friend. Much like your friend Alice."

"Alice isn't my best friend," Red frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh?"

"She's ten and too old to be bothered by me," Red said as if she was mimicking someone who had told her that before. He little head dropped to watch her shoe scuff against the soft grass, "I don't have friends."

"That can't be true," Jiminy flicked off the last of the water from his wings and flew in front of her face, "You are quite a pleasant and wonderful young lady."

"Granny and I move a lot," Red sighed, "Ever since momma and daddy died, we've always moved. We're moving from here too. Granny says so."

Jiminy watched the young girl's eyes begin to water. His heart tore for her. He let out a deep breath and landed on her crossed arms. He patted one hand and she looked down at him, "If you would like, Miss Lucas… I will be your friend."

"But I will be leaving," she said again and felt her throat tighten.

"Doesn't matter," Jiminy shook his head and flew up to be eye level with her, "Friends are friends no matter how far apart we are."

"Will I see you again?" her voice cracked with tears.

"I promise," he nodded and touched her nose with his small hand, "I always keep my promises."

"Then you are my friend," Red nodded and giggled, tears immediately forgotten.

"Where are you going?" Jiminy suddenly asked, "Maybe I can come to visit you."

"Somewhere safe," she nodded.

"Red?" Granny's voice called out, "It's time to go, child!"

"You are going to see me again, right?" she asked quickly and then pointed at him as if she was scolding him, "You promised."

"I will see you again," he reassured her and she smiled before she ran off after her grandmother's voice.

Soon, Jiminy came out and landed on Gepetto's shoulder. The two friends watched the two Lucas females make their way down the road.

"Where did you go off to?" Gepetto asked Jiminy.

"I went to meet a friend," Jiminy answered and kept his eyes on how Red held the extra material of her extra large cape and hood, "Did Widow Lucas say where they were heading?"

"Back to where Red was born. Haven't been there since she was a baby, but it's a small hunting community. Close knit. Something that the little girl needs."

"She'll make friends," Jiminy sighed in relief.

"Yes," Gepetto nodded and turned to his masterpiece, "Now, I must make a decision. What to name my boy…"

"I like Pinocchio," Jiminy echoed Red's words from earlier, his eyes straining to see her disappearing form.

"Pinocchio," Gepetto smiled and said it in a warm tone, "Great choice, my friend."

END


	7. Taking Root

**A/N**: I did say that these would be unrelated, but I had a request to continue a couple of them into maybe a two shot. This was one of them. This one is a continued from "Passing Through". Though I like 'passing' a little better than this one, this gives a more definite ending for Red and young Jiminy. More Young!Jiminy and Performer!Red AU ahead.

"**Taking Root"**

"Another town, another chance," Jiminy took a deep breath of fresh air as he walked with his horses and freshly painted wagon to the front gates of Snowland.

He could ride from the driver's seat, but he'd much rather walk with his horses up front. Besides, it was still night and despite the full moon, it was still pretty dark. He heard many creatures around road's edge and kept a good hold of his horses. He was a little anxious about the sounds, but his horses were probably even more so. Many would have camped along the side of the road on a night like this, but he didn't want to take the chance with his horses. Too many chances that they would scare and run off, a predator come after them or even a person in need of another horse take them while he slept. He was careful, especially around the most dangerous of animals.

Blue eyes behind his round spectacles trailed up the road to see the top spires of the city's gates. It had been at least a couple of years since he had last stepped foot in the beautiful city of Snowland. Not since he still had his parents with him; his poor, unfortunate parents. They were his family, responsibility and some would say his burden, but that was all done with now. All ties cut in one of the most horrible of ways. Jiminy's eyes glazed over as he thought back to the week prior.

His stallion huffed into his shoulder when they dropped their pace and nudged him slightly to the side with his nose. Jiminy nearly tripped from the push and caught himself on their reigns. As he straightened himself he gave his stallion a look.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked the stallion who nodded his head as the mare whinnied as if she was laughing. Jiminy chuckled at the two and shook his head, "Well, I guess we all could use a good laugh, couldn't we?"

A loud howl split through the night air behind them and Jiminy stopped the horses. He shushed them as their hooves tapped the ground in an anxious dance as if unsure if they should stay with their owner or run. They huffed in agitation and their ears flicked in all directions.

Jiminy patted their faces and looked them in the eyes as they turned to him, "I won't let anything happen to you. Don't worry."

This seemed to calm the horses and they nudged his face with their noses as if they understood him. He took a deep breath to give them more comfort and turned to walk the road again. All at once his breath left him as a very large and what looked like a very feral wolf blocked the pathway. The wolf paced from one side of the road to the other as if trying to judge what angle to best attack from. Jiminy and the creature eyed one another as he kept his body in front of his horses.

"You won't find your dinner here," he said in what voice he could find and lifted his head, "They are my pack, as small as it is. I hope that you could understand that."

The wolf's back suddenly lost its arch and the ears popped up as if intrigued by what he said. A couple of padded steps closer and the wolf tilted its head in thought. The golden eyes surrounded by the dark fur narrowed to look at him again, but in a much different way. This wasn't sizing up a meal; this was sizing up that man. The wolf suddenly ran up to Jiminy and placed its paws over his chest as it took a long sniff at his pulse point. His pulse was racing and his breath came out in shallow puffs.

Jiminy closed his eyes and whispered the only thing that he could hold on to, "I try my best to be a good man. I will never forget that someone once thought that I was the best of all. I strive to make her proud. I will always do my best, even at my worst."

The wolf suddenly stopped sniffing and jumped back from his chest. Jiminy popped his eyes open and looked at the wolf who looked shocked. The wolf whined a little toward him and took a step again toward him, but then heard a distant howl. It shook its head, gave another glance back at Jiminy and then ran into the woods. Jiminy let out the large breath of relief and tried to get his hands to stop shaking.

The mare reached forward and nudged him at his back which made him jump. He let out a startled yelp and then turned back to her, "Sorry. That's not something that happens every day, is it?"

After he settled his nerves, Jiminy pulled them forward and to the gates at a much faster pace than before. The guards checked him and his wagon and let him in. He found the side of the old performer's circle quite easily and noticed that there much less booths and stages than the last time he was there. He let his horses roam in the empty green pasture to graze and get some sleep while he tied down the wagon.

After he stabilized the wheels he climbed up to the driver's seat and looked out over the different wagons and stages in the circle. He noticed that the large one he was looking for was gone, as he thought it would be. His fingers trailed over a small scar on his chest, just to side of his heart. It was the only souvenir that he had of that day. He knew that it should have faded without a problem since it was so shallow, but for one reason or another it had scared and stayed with him. He was actually grateful, it reminded him what he strove to be and not who his parents were.

With a deep breath he scanned the town around the circle and nodded in a decision. It was about time to see what this grand city had to offer and what he could offer it. In the morning, there was exploring to be done.

As he climbed down and then jumped into the back of his wagon to finally get some sleep, a pair of golden eyes flashed from the surrounding woods beyond the gates.

…

Jiminy packed a small bag with food for later, made sure that his horses were taken care of and walked out into the city. The daylight really brightened the streets and the people that walked them. The Princess Snow would be crowned later in the week as queen by her father and it looked like the kingdom was flourishing. The market street was bustling with business and everyone was smiling. He definitely could get used to a place like this.

His feet took him back toward the performer's circle and he stood in the same spot that he stood two years prior as a beautiful woman tamed vicious beasts before his very eyes. He looked over the empty air as if the stage was still there and caught her eyes again. With a wave, she disappeared along with her stage. He looked down and shook his head with regret. A vision he knew he would never see again in the flesh.

A quiet bark drew his attention to the side and he saw the large wolf from the show two years ago in-between two buildings at the circle edge. He closed his eyes in a slow blink just in case it was a remaining figment of his imagination. When he opened them again the wolf was still there and turned to follow a figure in a red hood. Jiminy gasped at the flash of red color and began to follow the wolf and the figure. He pushed through the crowd, hopeful to keep up with the two.

The wolf seemed both at home and out of place in the busy streets of Snowland, with its handler leading the way. From what he saw most of the people ignored the wolf, or if they acknowledged it, they brushed it off as if it was a normal event. Jiminy didn't mind the people too much attention for fear that he would lose the wolf. The beast and figure led him in a large circle back around toward the performer's circle. The figure suddenly stopped before they entered the sparsely populated stages and looked over their shoulder.

"Why do you follow me?" the voice barked from beneath the hood.

"I don't mean any danger or hostility, I promise you," Jiminy held out his empty hands toward the figure and the wolf that had turned toward him, "I was just looking for someone… I was hoping that- I know it's probably not possible…"

The figure stood still, not showing any response that they had even heard him. The wolf trotted up to Jiminy and sniffed at his hands and then at his face. It huffed as if uninterested and trotted back to its handler, nudging their right hand still sniffing at whatever they had in it. The hand clenched tighter as the person gasped and then lifted both hands toward the hood.

"Hello again, Jiminy," a new voice, gentler and very recognizable, said from beneath the ever growing familiar red hood.

The hood was released and her black hair spilled over her shoulders. She had a light and pleasing chuckle as she turned toward him and tilted her head to the side in jest. Jiminy stood still under her eyes and took her in. She hadn't aged a day from what he could remember, and he remembered her well. He remembered every curve that he could. The curve of her hips, her waist and the shallow curve of her lower lip that had once pressed against his.

"Red," he breathed out a small smile.

"You remember me," she chuckled again with her smile growing wider. She held out a piece of fabric that she was holding in her right hand and he immediately recognized it, "I remembered you too."

"So _you_ were the one that tore my shirt," he smiled and had hoped that she was the cause for the torn clothing and the scar on his chest. He pulled at the neck of the shirt he now wore and pointed out the strange scar, "…and gave me this."

"I didn't mean to scratch you," she furrowed her brows at the mark and looked worried as if he was going to be mad at her for it.

"No! Don't apologize," he shook his head and let go of the neck line, "I…it's become a good thing in my life. One of very few good things."

She smiled again, her worry vanished at his explanation and pointed at his face, "You're just like I remember."

"The same of you," he gestured toward her, "Sometimes I thought that I just dreamed you."

"How strange we think alike," she nodded and stepped closer to him, "I have not seen a better man than you since you were last here. The piece I tore from your shirt gave me hope that there were still good men out there… or at least one."

The wolf turned to the side and growled as if it was trying to warn something off. Red turned in the same direction and made a noise toward the wolf. He huffed and ran into the crowd in the separate direction. Red suddenly grabbed Jiminy's arm and looked him in the eyes.

"Is your wagon nearby?"

"Yes, just around the other end of the circle," he nodded and looked at the direction that both Red and the wolf looked.

"Take me there," she requested and he didn't hesitate.

Jiminy grabbed her hand and tugged her in another direction. They made quick time through the short cuts around the stages and buildings. He nodded toward the now green wagon and opened the door to let her in. She jumped in quickly and he followed her in. She took off her hood and laid it over one of the small chairs that he had inside.

"What was that about?" he asked and locked the door to the wagon.

"Peter- my wolf- and I guard Snowland from intruders," Red explained and sat on the floor of the wagon, spreading out her large skirt, "For Princess Snow. There are people who were sent to kill her; especially now that she is to be crowned queen."

"Was that an assassin that he smelled?"

"Oh no, we stop all of them before they get to the gate," Red smiled proudly with a flash of her teeth, "Peter smelled the guard captain. He's been, we'll say persistent in his quest to woo me."

"Oh?" Jiminy asked with his brows raised and sat on the floor next to her under his closed window, "You don't like him?"

"He is a decent man," Red nodded and then shrugged as she turned to him, "I've been holding out for a better one."

Jiminy tried to clear his throat as it seemed tighter than it usually was. He pounded on his chest to clear whatever was stopping him from breathing and turned to hide his blush, "Is that what made you stay? To guard the Princess?"

"One of the big reasons, yes," she smirked as he didn't hide his blush well.

"What about your responsibilities?" he asked and she turned to him confused. He tried to elaborate, "The ones you had to fulfill?"

"Those were fulfilled by the princess," Red nodded and looked at the ceiling above her, "That's why I protect her. I could never pay her back for what she has done for me."

"I saw that your stage was gone and I thought that you weren't here," he admitted and looked at his hands, folded over his raised knees, "I didn't think that I would see you again."

"I am just as surprised to see you back here. Just passing through once again?" she asked, a speck of hope in her voice.

"No, I was actually hoping to lay down some roots," he smiled shyly and turned to her, "Know if there is any good soil around here?"

"More than you would think," she nodded enthusiastically and brighter than he has ever seen, "Of course I could probably find you something more stable than the wagon, unless you are partial to it."

"I think it's served its purpose, in need of a good rest," Jiminy patted the wood fondly.

Red looked at the comfortable, yet humble surroundings that he made inside and noticed that there was only room for one, "You're… alone now."

"Much like you," he nodded and looked way, "My _responsibilities_ didn't want me anymore. They found other avenues and I was expendable."

"Other avenues?" she asked with a frown, "You are their son. How could there be other avenues?"

"Enough money and they could buy servants that were better listeners than their son," Jiminy explained, "They thought that they owned me nothing. They didn't need me anymore- or the wagon- or horses. We were all thrown out… as such, we all stayed together. I wished my parents well and took what I could: the horses and my fonder memories. I never gave up on them, it was them who gave up on me. I thought that with the mare heavy with foal and the stallion getting older, might as well settle down and stop having to worry about the next town."

"I knew you were too good for them," she growled. After a moment of silence she put her hand over one of his that was closest to her, "I had hoped that after you had left that they would have been able to catch your spark. It was so bright."

"Apparently not bright enough. I tried, but it never caught," he shook his head, but kept his eyes on her hand over his.

"Yes it did," she said and his eyes flicked up to hers. She had leaned forward and her nose was less than an inch from his. Her eyes flashed from silver to gold as she scanned his face, "You said that I was a grand fire, but I wasn't. Not until you."

"I didn't do anything special."

"You believed in me as a good person, not just a performer or just a woman," she explained and her eyes looked straight into his, burrowing deep into his soul, "You ignited the flame in me to be a better woman. The day after you left, that flame burst and I had the courage to save a young woman who was almost killed by an assassin; that was Princess Snow. In turn, she made a deal with Gold where he released my debt to him. She freed me… only because you gave me the courage and the inner fire to do what I knew was right, not what I knew I was told to do and to be."

His breath kept catching on itself at her close proximity and he swallowed hard, "You did the same for me."

"How?" she shook her head in disbelief.

"Every time I didn't know what to do, I thought of what you had said to me," he smiled and looked her over this time, "I was a good man in your eyes. What action would keep me a good man? Which action would you be proud of? You kept that spark burning."

Red chuckled, but it was caught on a sob.

Jiminy panicked a little and held her hand that was still on top of his, "I'm sorry, did I say the wrong thin-?"

"No," she put her fingers from her other hand over his lips to stop him and shook her head with a sad smile, "You said the opposite… exactly the right thing."

Without another word she leaned forward and captured his lips against hers. Her hands went straight into his hair or his shoulder where she found her balance. He responded much quicker than the last time she had kissed him so suddenly. His hands went to her waist to keep her near. Both of their eyes closed as their feelings took over. For two years she had waited for him, though she didn't know it. For two years, he molded himself into the man that she had seen and believed in. For two years a flame that they had thought was two, was actually one and had finally become whole.

After a few moments she leaned back and they opened their eyes to one another. She smiled in a relieved fashion, while he was sure his just looked silly. Red laughed happily and settled herself down into his lap, curling like a dog in their owner's lap. His arms slid around her easily and her head fit nicely under his chin.

"I have waited years for you," she whispered, "To think that I let you leave last time."

"To think that I even left," he murmured and placed his lips against her hair, "I am not leaving this time."

Red smiled and bit at her lip as she snuggled into his shoulder, "Than I need to tell you a few things."

"Like?" he asked and hugged her tighter.

"I knew you were here before you followed me in the market," she smiled wide even though he couldn't see it.

"How?"

"We met on the road outside the gates last night," she said and he sat up. She pulled away slightly, ready to let him run if he wanted to. He looked down at her and looked at her eyes and then over at her hood on the chair. Then, just when she thought that he was going to make the connection, he did, but didn't run. He didn't even bat an eye at it.

"That explains how you have a way with animals and their language," he said with a shrug and turned back to look at her, "You know your eyes change color?"

"I- I was aware," she nodded and he settled back against the wagon's wood as she tried to understand his calm demeanor, "You aren't afraid of me?"

"Why should I be?" he asked with a raise of a brow.

"I am a werewolf," she announced and pointed to herself, "I hunt and kill humans."

"Yet you left me alone last night," he pointed out and took her hands in his. He placed her hands flat against his chest where her paws had rested the night before and looked her in the eyes, "You knew me, and you know me still. A wolf doesn't attack a man who doesn't deserve it- doesn't attack a good man. I believe that you never would."

She closed her eyes in happiness and relief, "You are one of a kind."

"So are you," he put a hand through her hair and she leaned into the touch, "A rare find and I am not leaving you again. Werewolf or human, I am not making that mistake again."

She opened her eyes and was about to lean in for another kiss when the wagon door burst open despite the lock. Red turned to the intruder, ready to defend, but found the guard captain at the door.

"What are you doing?" he asked surprised to see her jump out from another man's arms.

"Gustave, I told you to leave me be," Red huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Who is this?" Gustave asked and pointed at Jiminy as he didn't get the hint.

Jiminy shook his head sadly and scooted over to the wagon door. He gripped the door and looked the rather large man in the eyes, "My name is Jiminy, Red's intended. I would like to ask you to stop pursuing her."

"Intended? But, I-" Gustave muttered in front of Jiminy, floundering for words.

"Good day, Captain," Jiminy shut the door on the man and turned to Red who had both her hands over her mouth so she wouldn't laugh.

"That won't stop him," Red shook her head.

"Then I guess I will have to marry you," Jiminy said with a definite nod. He then quickly turned to her, "If you will have me, of course."

Red leapt at the poor man before he could process it and they fell to the floor of the wagon. She kissed him over his face and burrowed her nose into his neck to soak up his scent.

"I have waited for a better man," she said into his neck and smiled like a fool, "I never thought that I could have the best."

"Although, I don't believe it is me, the best is what you deserve," Jiminy hugged her to him, "Time to take root… and make a home."

**END**


	8. Orange Spray Paint

**A/N**: Title is the prompt. It was pretty straight forward.

"**Orange Spray Paint"**

There he stood at the precipice, still and thoughtful. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets as he tried to gather his own thoughts. He knew that others had come back to this spot, still walking the fine line between freedom and forgetting. A sad chuckle escaped his throat. It looked so simple: an orange line of spray paint on dark asphalt. A line never to be crossed unless you wanted to lose yourself. Who you really were.

"Archie?"

Archie Hopper turned around to see Ruby wrapped up in a dark red, short shawl to keep out the Maine cold from reaching her arms. She gripped at the small piece of clothing and pulled it tight against her back and shoulders. He turned from the line, now half way facing her.

"Ruby," he greeted quietly and gave her a small smile, trying to make it genuine.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked and stepped toward him.

"I will answer if you will," he offered and caught her eyes. Seeing her worry he sighed heavily, "I was just thinking."

"…of stepping over?" she supplied.

"No," he shook his head immediately and then looked back down the road on the other side, "There is no appeal there."

"But there was," she walked next to him to look over the unused road.

"David was right, I wouldn't be who I am without whom I was," he looked at Ruby, "Just like you."

"Then what are you thinking about out here that you can't at your office?"

"This little line…" he nodded to the bright line by their feet, "Nothing but bright orange spray paint. You would think that we could lose ourselves to something more than this. Especially after everything that we have fought through and overcome."

"It's often the small things that we have taken for granted that takes the most from us," she said a little distracted.

"Such as?" he asked.

She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly, "Well, I know that a small vile of rain water took a good portion from you."

"Yes, I guess that would be an orange line of mine. It gave me some blessings as well, though. I can't deny that," he nodded slowly, "And what about you? What's your orange line?"

"Assumptions," she said in a whisper.

"How so?"

Ruby walked from the line and sat down on a long nearby rock, off to the side of the road. She cleared her throat and looked up at the sliver of the moon that decided to shine down, "Peter."

"What was that?"

"Before I knew what I was, I _assumed_ that my boyfriend- my first love… Peter was the wolf," she explained and kept her eyes on the moon even as she felt Archie sit next to her. She held out her hand toward him and he grasped it knowing that is what she needed, "I tied him to a tree with thick chains and promised that I would stay with him when he changed. Instead, I changed and I ate him. I killed him. I killed a lot of people."

"I know all of this, Ruby," Archie whispered and saw her lone tear fall down her face.

"I know you do," she nodded and finally turned toward him, "But then here, I assumed that the wolf would take over. It did for a night, but didn't hurt anyone. I assumed that it would and my assumptions- along with those of a good portion of the town- killed Billy. He was used as a pawn and I fell for it."

"A lot of people did," he whispered and rubbed a thumb over her knuckles.

"You didn't," she reminded him and made his eyes pop up to hers.

"Because I know you," he smiled softly, "I'm just sorry I wasn't there."

"Wasn't your fault that Regina was eating up your time," Ruby shrugged and took a deep breath, "Something so little as an assumption… it has taken a lot from me. That's my orange line, I guess."

"Those orange lines… they can also be something that is keeping us from something," he offered and squeezed her hand before he took a cleansing breath, "And I don't know about you, but I am getting tired of things delineating what I should and shouldn't do."

"Just what line are you trying to cross now?" she smiled finally and was a little startled when he wiped the last tear off of her cheek.

"Ruby," he said clearly and knelt on one knee in front of her, his hand now cupping her face, and the other a constant reassurance over her hand, "I am tired of being the coward. Tired of looking down a road that I believe I can't take. Tired of standing there, when what I want seemed so forbidden."

"What are you trying to say?" she asked in a whisper of a question.

"I am in love with you," he said quickly. Her eyes flew open wide and he took quick, short rasps of air, trying so hard not to scare her off, "You are everything that I never thought I would have. A friend, a confidant, a caring person who would rather sacrifice herself than to hurt another… you are not just beautiful, you are _everything_."

Ruby felt her jaw flap slightly, feeling absolutely useless.

"That is why I was out here tonight. Thinking on orange lines and roads that were forbidden to travel," he waved a hand toward the line and then quickly came back to her, "I have looked back on so many days at the diner where I went to tell you how I felt, and then I lost my bravery with just one flash of your smile. That's what you do. Make me happy and afraid all in one movement. No one has ever done that."

Tiny gasps and sighs came from her mouth as she tried to digest all that he was saying. She closed her eyes as she tried to make sense of the white noise running through her mind. He started to feel that immense fear build in his chest and began to pull away until her cheek pressed into the palm that was still at her face. She wrapped her free hand over it and finally opened her eyes.

"I can't believe it," she smiled sadly at him.

"Believe what?" he asked, now at a loss of words himself.

"You're right, no more orange lines," she smiled wider and suddenly launched herself into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled against his lips as they connected on the way down to the ground. She kissed him eagerly and at first a little startled; Archie felt the fear melt away and his hands wrapped around her waist. She hummed against him as he began to kiss her back and giggled when she moved back to look down at him. She saw her famous red lipstick smudged over his mouth and wiped her fingers over his mouth to help remove some of it.

He caught her hand and kissed the back of it, "What couldn't you believe?"

"Well, silly enough," she smiled and giggled again as she ran her other hand through his hair, "I _assumed_ that you would never love me back if I told you how I felt."

He looked at her in surprise this time and then laughed loudly, the sound rumbling through his chest and into hers. He shook his head and ran a hand through her hair, to keep it out of her face, "No more assumptions."

"No more orange lines," she said and tapped him on his nose before she bent forward and caught his lips with hers once again.

At their next break he sat up and looked up at her with furrowed brows, "Why did you come out here anyway?"

"I felt that this was the one night that I could possibly find it in myself to cross my own lines," she shrugged and placed her arms slowly over his shoulders, "Now, where were we?"

END


	9. Heartbreak

**A/N**: This one came from a finish this sentence: "That's what happens when you follow your heart…" It definitely screamed Ruby/ Red to me.

"**Heart Break"**

Ruby sat at the side of her bed and held her head in her hands. She knew that this would happen again. It always did. She would meet a guy, flirt with him and then bed him without much thought. No feelings attached, unless you counted the warm feeling of the whiskey she had had in her system. She knew better than to place feelings into the mix of it all. Although, even though she had no attachment, she still felt the regret. Loud and blaringly clear each and every morning after. She knew that she could be something better than this… something more than a one night stand.

With a rough hand, she would push the guy out of her bed and then tell him to be on his way. He would leave his number, as they usually did, and it would find its way into her trash bin after he left. She got dressed and made her way down to the diner, with a disapproving look from Granny along the way.

The day would be spent taking orders, filling them, flirting with the more available and handsome men of Storybrooke and then daydreaming of far off places on her breaks. She took out her hundredth cup of coffee to the table with Leroy and a few of his mismatched friends and asked if they needed anything else. Leroy made another comment about her well known 'popularity', but she shrugged it off and walked to another table.

"You don't have to take that kind of talk from him or anyone else, you know," a voice drifted up from her newest table.

Ruby looked down at the small table to see Archie smiling softly up at her. She smiled back, putting on her strong face, "I know, but it's better and easier to just not fight it."

"Better in what way?" he frowned and sat up straighter, "Ruby, you are a strong woman, I know this. But being strong does not mean that you have to stay quiet when they say such lies about you- especially to your face."

"What if they aren't lies, Archie?" she asked and put her hands on her hips, her order book crushed in one hand. She knew her temper was immediately in full flare, but she wouldn't stop herself. She needed the vent, and poor Archie was the victim of it, "Would I still be the strong woman you think you know?"

"You are not the town whore," Archie whispered up to her trying his hardest not to draw too much attention.

"Maybe I am," she leaned in closer to him and told him in a whispering hiss, "I have slept with a lot of men; some of which I don't remember meeting the next morning. Sure, I don't do it for money, but Hell knows I don't feel anything for them. Doesn't that make me a whore?"

"No, it doesn't," Archie furrowed his brows deeper and shook his head with a sad sigh, "…it makes you lonely."

"It doesn't feel like loneliness when I have another body next to mine."

"Sometimes we are the most alone when we are surrounded by people," he got out of his chair and put a couple of dollars on the table.

"You didn't order anything," she said as she stood straight with him.

"I've lost my appetite," he said in a straightforward tone she had never heard come from him before.

"Are you… angry with me?" she asked and crossed her arms over her chest, "I think that it should be the other way around. All due respect and all, you don't know me."

Archie took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, "I am frustrated, yes. I just can't understand why a strong and beautiful woman refuses to find what makes her happy- or _who_ makes her happy. Why she doesn't follow her heart, because it looks to me she's always finding new ways of breaking it."

Ruby stood shocked in front of the town psychologist and closed her eyes as she shook her head, "That's easy enough. That's what happens when you follow your heart; it breaks."

Ruby didn't wait for a response and turned on her heel and retreated back to the kitchen. Archie stood in the middle of the busy diner and noticed that many of the patrons still ate their food or sipped on their coffee, too wrapped up in their own worlds to see the interaction between the two of them. He left the diner with a hurried step. Ruby watched him leave and finally let her breath out as she felt something drop into the pit of her stomach.

Sure she was mad at him for trying to pry into her personal life. She wasn't one of his patients and she wasn't a child. She knew what she was doing and she also knew what that was doing for her reputation. She didn't need someone as clean as Archibald Hopper try to help her. She stopped in her thoughts and looked up at the ceiling. He was just trying to help her. Try to make her see herself in a light that he may see her in.

It was strange to think about it. He was the only man that she had met that didn't try to get into her pants. He talked with her when she brought him his coffee, was interested in what she thought about specific things and music, not so much what club she was heading to that night. He was interested in her. Not in what she could give him. He was a friend, and she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry, Archie," she whispered into the vacant room behind the kitchen.

* * *

Ruby locked up the diner and took a deep breath as she wrapped her red scarf around her neck and head. She didn't want to pick anyone up tonight; though she had her options open throughout the day. Since her talk with Archie earlier, she didn't feel up to it. She wasn't sure if she would be up for it ever again.

She ran a hand through her hair and walked down the sidewalk to the bed a breakfast, which was next door. She turned to the steps and noticed a small box with a note on the outside of it. Curiosity instantly peeked, Ruby picked up the box and opened the card.

_Hearts break, that's a cruel fact of life. The miracle of that is that when you choose to follow your heart again, no matter how broken, it makes that love stronger and that much more real._

Ruby's brows furrowed though she smiled sadly down at the little note, not needing it to be signed to know who it was from. Leave it to the kindest man in Storybrooke to give you a gift when he is the one that's mad. She shook her head and then looked up and down the street in hopes of catching him. She also snuck a peek across the street toward his office, but no luck in finding the man. She sighed and turned to the box.

The top flap opened and she pulled out a glass wolf, red paint woven into the blown glass. She gasped at the small trinket and let it spin under the light of the porch lamp. She smiled brightly and took one more look across the street toward his office. No lights, he had gone home.

"Well," she said lightly and looked at the spinning wolf, "Looks like someone is getting a coffee and meal on the house tomorrow."

She hugged the glass wolf to her chest and then paused before she moved inside, "I know the perfect place for you."

* * *

Archie sat at his table, a file unfolded over his lap. Suddenly there was a large cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes set in front of him. He looked surprised and then looked up at Ruby who smiled back at him.

"What is this for?" he asked and nodded toward the pancakes, "I didn't order anything."

"It's on the house," she nodded and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. As she leaned back she giggled as she saw his cheeks flare red, "It's for helping me get out of my rut and kicking me into trying to find what and who makes me happy. Thank you for believing in me when no one else would."

"Anytime," Archie nodded with his hand against his face.

Ruby only nodded and walked back toward the counter to grab another order. Archie looked out the front diner window and caught sight of her mustang. There, hanging from her rearview mirror hung the red wolf.

**END**


	10. Overgrown

**A/N**: Yet another request to do a two-parter. This is a continuation of "Garden Paths". I actually hadn't planned on continuing this one, but I saw a prompt that said simply 'overgrown' and it seemed to fit. Hope you enjoy!

"**Overgrown"**

Ruby never understood what she liked about gardens; especially gardens that grew freely at the side of homes. She usually liked runs around town or through the forests to clear her head, but to feel at home and accepted it was small gardens that did the trick. There were foggy memories that drew her to the tiny sanctuaries, memories she couldn't see or remember. Something maybe buried so deep, she may never understand.

During one of her morning jogs that she had become accustomed to since Mary Margaret came back home from her stint in jail, Ruby took the long way around town and toward some of the homes that had sat vacant for as long as she could remember. At the side of one of them, she slowed her pace and trotted to a halt as a small garden fence could be seen.

She looked closely at the house and knew that it was abandoned. Cracked and broken windows, wooden paneling crooked and falling apart only emphasized that the house was no longer a home. She came closer to the gate and saw that some of the vines had grown over the fence, but there was a clear pass for the gate to open and close. She looked up and down the street and once she saw that it was clear, she walked into the garden.

The yard was larger than she thought it would be and she thought it a shame that no one cared for the garden any longer. It looked like it would have been beautiful in its hay day. There were rose bushes in the corner where the wild blooms still blossomed through their thorns. Daffodils were bright and yellow against the dark green plumage of their surrounding fauna, unkempt and unchecked of its density. A small bird bath sat in the middle though any water that was once in it was gone a long time ago.

Ruby smiled as her tennis shoes padded along the beautiful brick pathway. She again looked around to make sure that no one was around and began to skip down the path, humming 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?' as she did so. She danced between the small path and the over grown bushes and began to childishly talk to the bushes.

"Hello Mister Daffodil," she stopped and looked at the flowers and then turned her attention to the roses, "You and I have something in common, Miss Rose. The color red."

"Along with natural beauty."

Ruby yelped and jumped back from the bushes, her hand at her chest from the shock. She leaned forward after a moment to check the plants again, "Who's there?"

"Sorry, Ruby," Archie pulled himself from behind some of the larger bushes and brushed himself off, "Didn't mean to frighten you."

"So you just laying in the bushes for a nice nap?" she asked with a playful smirk.

"In all honesty, you surprised me first," he plucked his umbrella from the bushes and turned to her, "I didn't think anyone else came to this garden. When you came into the gate and started to shuffle along the path, it made me jump and fall into the bushes."

"You come here a lot?" Ruby asked and looked around the small garden again.

"When I can," he nodded and brushed off the last of the dust from his old leather jacket, "I don't know what it is, but I have had an affinity toward gardens, though I have never had the green thumb."

Ruby chuckled a little at the thought of the psychiatrist hands deep in the dirt of a garden, dirt and grass stains on his pants, "Yeah, you're too clean for that."

"I can get as dirty as the next guy, Ruby," he said indignantly.

Ruby burst into a loud laugh and held out a hand to stop him from talking again, "Archie, as a friend… don't ever say that again. It doesn't suit you."

"Friend, huh?" Archie paused at that and looked the young woman over.

"Of course I see you as a friend," Ruby smiled at him and took him by the arm, "I don't see you much out of the diner, but when we do we have a great time, don't we?"

Archie coughed into his hand to try and hide his blush, "We do, yeah."

"Okay then," she nodded and pulled him with her along the path of the garden, "Who would leave a beautiful place like this unfinished?"

"I don't know," Archie took a breath now that his heart beat went back to normal, "It's a shame, really. It looked well loved."

"Hm," Red agreed and pulled away from him, "You know, I think that we have always been friends."

"Oh?" Archie smiled, now more at ease in her presence.

"Yeah, like we made a pact a long time ago and it's always been there, just underneath it all," she nodded at her own description, "Like with me and Mary Margaret and Ashley. I don't remember becoming friends with them. I just… was. Like with you, but different."

"How so different?"

"Well, speaking candidly, Doctor Hopper…" she clutched his hand again and pulled him toward the gate. Before she opened it she came close to him and whispered, "You are a lot cuter than they are."

She giggled flirtatiously when his cheeks glowed bright red once again. She winked at him and walked out of the gate toward the street to finish her jog, "I will have your lunch ready when you come in later today."

"S-sounds good," he nodded anxiously.

"And for future reference…" she added, already beginning to jog in place, "This is my favorite route in the mornings."

He didn't say anything as she ran off, down the street and around the corner. Archie stayed in place and looked back at a garden. He always loved gardens. Now he had a reason to be thankful for them too.

END


	11. Listen

**A/N**: This one was given to me by one of my friends and betas. "Say I love you when you're not listening."

"**Listen**"

"Red, you listen up now," Granny shook her finger in front of Red's face as she stood next to the door in preparation of wolf's time, "Tell that Peter boy to stay back. He shouldn't be out there trying to be a hunter with a wolf out and about."

"Peter is a man that can take care of himself," Red sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Peter is a boy who won't live to be a man if he keeps tempting his fate just to see you," Granny huffed and pushed her toward her room, "Now, get your hood on and get some sleep."

One month later Red met her best friend, Snow, and lost her first love, Peter. It was an unfair trade and she felt that empty hole his death left fill her heart. She was a wolf, a killer and a monster.

Snow was about to start on her travels again and Red would go along beside her. Granny was to meet with a few people that may be good to the cause of bringing down Regina while the two young women went ahead. Red sat in her room, alone and cut off from the few others she heard in the next room over talk about their next steps. Red tugged the red hood tighter around her shoulders and looked out her window to the waning moon, the cool breeze crawling into her room. Along with the breeze, she heard the sounds of the forest, the brushing of trees and of the wildlife that held no danger to her. Not anymore. Then she heard the song of a single cricket, close to her window.

"Such a beautiful song," she whispered to herself and then walked to the window where she pushed open the cover and looked down to see a cricket dressed in a tweed coat and an umbrella strapped to his back. She smiled sadly down at the cricket as he stopped his song and crossed her arms on the windowsill before him, "Hello, Jiminy. I didn't mean to stop your song."

"You could if you wanted to, I was playing it for you," he said with a small bow toward her, "When Granny asked Gepetto, Pinocchio and I to travel here for an emergency- I had thought the worst. I am glad to see that my fears were not true."

"Oh, but don't you see that it so much worse?" she asked and leaned her head on her folded arms to look at him eye to eye, "I… I… Jiminy, I killed Peter. I ate him… I'm a monster."

"You are not a monster, Red," Jiminy shook his head and laid a small, green hand on her arm.

"How can I not be?" she felt the tears pricking at her eyes, but didn't shy away from her life-long friend. She only pulled on the material of her hood; the only safeguard from the wolf, "I ate the man I loved. How can I be so sure that I won't do that to the rest of the people I love?"

"You know the wolf now," Jiminy explained and moved his hand from her arm to her cheek as he stepped closer to look into her green eyes, now speckled with gold- the wolf inside, "Now, it's the time to find the courage to let it find its humanity through you. You are a great and beautiful person, Red. Don't let a darker side of yourself overshadow that."

Red smiled sadly again at the cricket and sniffed back at sob, "You are the only one who makes sense sometimes, Jiminy. I am so glad that Granny met Gepetto when I was young and I got to meet you."

"Me too, Red," he nodded and backed away from her after a moment.

"C-can I ask you a favor?" Red asked hesitantly.

"Anything I can do, I will," Jiminy nodded enthusiastically to her, "For you, Red."

"Can you sing for me?" she asked with a worried furrow of her brows.

"Sure I can," he nodded and began to sing a cricket song, just for her.

As the song grew soft and smooth, Red closed her eyes and felt even the wolf inside of her begin to tame and calm. There was nothing else she found that could do that for her. Her mind began to drift off into a slumber and Jiminy smiled over her. He was her musician, friend and guardian for the night. With his song playing, he knew that no nightmares would reach her tonight. He would make sure of it, because that's what you did for the people that you loved.

* * *

Day after day, week after week, month after month and what felt year after year, Archie Hopper would sit at what he thought of as his booth, sip at his coffee and watch Ruby Lucas with rapt attention. She would glide from one side of the diner to the other with little effort. She would flirt with the men and gossip with the ladies as she checked on them and their orders. He wasn't left out from the flirtatious behavior and often felt his cheeks burn up with his blushing, which she enjoyed making if her giggles were any indication. He would watch her from his office too if she happened to be outside, busing the tables out there. She would sometimes catch him staring and would wave or if she was feeling saucy wink and blow him a kiss.

They rarely talked outside of the diner before Emma came to town. Now that she had been elected sheriff, he couldn't seem to think about anything other than the young woman from across the street. He watched as she grew up in an extraordinary amount of time and had more intelligent conversations with him, even sitting down with him to ask for advice. She became a woman that he grew to respect even more than the one he had known before.

One afternoon as she talked with him over his coffee and her water about her perfect version of utopia, he discovered out of nowhere that he was in love with her. As she talked about free homes set up for not only people, but canines, his heart jumped at her smile and his breath shortened as their eyes met. As she looked down at her napkin to play at the corners a gentle whisper slipped out from his lips unknowingly.

"I love you…"

"What?" she popped her head up and blinked at him with an innocent smile, really unsure of what he had said.

"Oh…uh," Archie shook his head and kicked himself in his mind to let something like that slip, "Just… where are all these dogs coming from in your utopia?"

"Here and there," she shrugged and sipped at her water before continuing, "Everyone should have a dog."

"I agree," he nodded and let out a breath of relief at the narrow miss.

Ruby looked back at the counter where Granny was tapping at her watch, "Ruby! Leave poor Doctor Hopper alone and get this out to table five."

Ruby chuckled with a shake of her head and stood up from the table, "I'm not bothering him. Am I, Archie?"

He felt his cheeks flame up again, but he shook his head with a chuckle, "Not in the slightest."

"See?" Ruby turned sharply toward her grandmother.

Granny only rolled her eyes, "Never been good at listening, have you, Ruby?"

"Okay, okay, I know table five," she nodded and Granny seemed happy with her answer as she went back to her business back in the kitchen. Ruby turned back to Archie, "Thanks for listening to me."

"Any time, Ruby," he said sincerely and left her a few dollars to cover his coffee and a tip for her as always before he stepped out of the diner.

* * *

Archie sat back in his office, his window open and his desk stacked with the last of his patient's files from over the past week. Between recovering from Hook and Cora's little kidnapping and starting to talk with Mary Margaret about her guilt over the Cora's death he had a full plate. He hadn't even scheduled a time to get himself over to Granny's for his regular cup of coffee, even though it was just across the street. He stood from his chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked across the street toward the small diner, hoping to catch sight of the one person he had been dying to see, but still avoided.

Everyone knew that he was alive thanks to the Charmings. He was happy for the fact, if nothing else to clear Regina's name, but he was hesitant on venturing out back to his regular life. He groaned and shook his head.

"No, it's because you are a coward and won't say what you should," he said to himself and sat back down at his desk, in hope to distract himself once more, "What you promised yourself you would."

Ever since he came back home and began to heal from the beatings so graciously given by Hook, he had gone over what he had held on to in the depths of the ship's hold. Being in that situation, he was sure he wasn't going to leave alive, he began to think back on all that he had done and regret all that he hadn't. One in particular he kept coming back to. He never told Ruby how he really felt. How he had loved her… even when she thought herself a monster back in the enchanted forest and he was still lowly cricket. While deep in the hold of the ship, he had promised himself that if he ever got out by some miracle that he would tell her how he felt, even if it meant painful rejection. He always kept his promises. He knew this and that's why he avoided her. He wasn't ready to tell her- he couldn't.

A knock patted on his office door and he got up to answer it.

He opened the door with an apology ready, "I'm sorry, I am not open right now. I can make an appoit…ment…"

"Not here for a shrink, Arch," Ruby smiled up at him and held up two cups of coffee for him to see, "You haven't been getting your coffee. I thought that it was about time that someone should bring it to you."

"Ruby…" he breathed out and blinked at her and the two cups as he heart raced and shot up to his throat, "I- I wasn't expecting you."

"I can see that," she giggled and raised the cups again, "Can I come in? I mean, I brought you coffee after all."

"Oh, yes, where are my manners?" he shook his head and stepped aside to let her in. He grabbed one of the offered cups from her as she passed, "Sorry."

"Don't be," she shook her head and turned to him as he shut the door behind her. She heard a small whimper and turned to see Pongo trotting up to meet her, "Hey there, good boy!"

Archie watched as Pongo licked at her face and she laughed. She gasped, which brought the dog's attention away from her face for a moment. She then pulled out a vanilla wafer and fed it to Pongo who scarfed it down and began to lick at her hands for the left-overs.

Archie was always happy with the way that she treated Pongo and found that same pesky whisper slip out, "…I love you."

Ruby laughed and pushed back Pongo as she saw Archie had said something to her, "What was that, Archie?"

"Nothing," he closed his eyes against the lie and walked back toward his desk.

She noticed his fib, as she usually did since he was horrible at them. She patted Pongo one more time and then followed Archie to his desk. He sat behind it and sipped at the still warm beverage while the files before him blurred into nonsense. Ruby sat on top of his desk, sure to sit on a clean corner so she wouldn't bother his work. She flicked at the top of the cover's lid to her coffee, not even bothering to drink it.

"I missed you, you know," she said in the semi-awkward silence. She flicked her eyes up to his as she felt them now on her, "We all thought that you were gone, Archie. I thought…"

"But I'm not, I'm here," he said gently and held out a hand toward her across the desk.

She smiled and took hold of his hand. She looked down at it and saw the still healing bruises and redness around his wrists. The wounds were painfully obvious since he had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. She set down her cup and ran her other hand very carefully over the bruises.

"I will bite his head off for what he has done to you," Ruby growled out as she ran her fingertips over his wrist.

"Don't stoop to his level," Archie shook his head and put his coffee to the side as well, "It isn't worth it. You're better than that."

"The wolf isn't," her eyes shining dangerously from green to gold for a split second.

"Every part of you is, including the wolf," he said in a strong voice and gained her full attention, the gold backing away and hiding itself again. He sighed and let go of her hand to round the desk and sit next to her. He held both of her hands this time and squeezed them for courage, "I missed you too. More than I probably should have."

"In situations like those, we always miss our friends," she shrugged and bent her head to try and catch his eyes which were trained on their hands.

"Ruby…" he stared and then sighed sadly when nothing came out. He groaned in frustration and let go of her hands to cross his arms over his chest and then paced in front of her.

"What's wrong? Why haven't you come to see me?" Ruby asked as she knew that he had seen all his patients and went out of his way to see Henry. She felt like she was left out of the opportunity of a reunion.

"I'm a coward, that's what's wrong," he said in a low voice and then walked to his large window to see if he could hear any of the crickets from the wood's edge, not too far from his office.

Ruby's eyebrows furrowed and she scooted off the desk and walked over to him. She put a hand over his arm and looked up at his face, which looked away from her and up at the half moon through the Maine clouds.

"You are one of the bravest people I have ever met," she whispered to him and he chuckled sadly at her. She frowned and tugged at his arm even though he still wouldn't look at her, "No, I'm serious. Archie, when I first found out about the wolf as Red, I locked myself in my room. You were the only one brave enough to come to me. You sang to me, just like the ones outside of this window. Sometimes, even as Ruby, I would keep my window open and listen to the crickets. It soothed me more than anything else ever could."

Archie's arms flexed and then relaxed under her touch and she felt him responding to her words.

"You were the only man that had ever sat to know Ruby, not just get into her pants," she said with a shake of her head in regret, "You were brave enough to ask the questions that no one knew the answers to. You got to know the Ruby that no one knew."

Archie shut his eyes and tilted his head down as his large hand covered hers over his arm. He took a deep breath in and let out, "I find that I say something only if you aren't listening. I am so scared to tell you, but I promised myself that I would."

"I have told you the most horrible secrets that I have held," she reminded him and with effort turned him toward her, "Please, tell me. I will listen, I promise."

Archie opened his eyes and looked into hers. He wetted his lips and then held both of her upper arms in his hands. A moment or two passed where he had hoped that she could just read it through his eyes, but she couldn't. He opened his mouth and found he couldn't say the words, no matter how much he wanted to, "Stop listening."

"What?" she asked with a confused tilt of her head.

"Just… stop listening," he shrugged lamely, "I know it doesn't make sense, but like I said, I can only say it when you aren't listening."

"That's a bit counterproductive to your goal," she said with an amused smile.

"That seems to be my problem, yes," he nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

"Then…" Ruby sighed heavily and bit her bottom lip in her worrying motion, "How about this? I tell you something that I've said, but you've never heard."

Archie chuckled, happy that she was taking this in stride, "Okay."

"Remember that first night that you came to me and sung me that cricket song?" she asked and he nodded.

Of course he remembered. He was sure that was the night that he had started to fall for her.

"In my mind, I was so distraught over Peter, that I didn't notice the warm feeling that had started in my heart. Where Peter had left it blank, something else began to grow," she said with a smile and put a hand over her chest as she looked up at him, "I didn't know what it was then. I was too young and too hurt to think it over. All I knew was that it was genuine and it came from your actions."

"I am glad that I was able to be there for you-" he started until she put her finger to his lips.

"Not done," she said with one of her Ruby smiles, "I remember before the curse broke when I started to become more of myself- more Red- you and I would talk like we used to back in the Enchanted Forest. One day, I was talking about some kind of human and canine utopia and Granny had me wait another table. You left and walked out the door of the diner… and I just stood there by our table. Because know it or not, that was what I knew as our table. It suddenly crashed on me- or Ruby… that you have _always_ listened. Even when I didn't."

"I always will," he said against her finger still against his lips.

She smirked against his stolen words against her finger and shook her head, "I stood there and looked out the diner door and whispered something that I had never said under the curse as Ruby. I said that I loved you."

At this Archie's eyes widened and his heart jumped straight to his throat yet again. She took her finger from his lips and looked up at him with wide and what he felt were fearful eyes. Her hands fell to her sides and her fingers flexed and bent unsure of what to do next. Archie felt his head reeling at the information and suddenly his hand reached up and cupped her cheek. His fingertips brushed over her hair and she closed her eyes to nuzzle against the palm of his hand. Both of her hands covered his, and kept it in place over her cheek.

"When we found you dead, I felt so numb. So stupid…" she hissed out in anger at herself, "I felt everything crumble around me. Jiminy was gone… Archie was gone… you- you were gone. I never told you how I felt and I didn't want that to happen again. So I put as much courage as I could muster together and I marched over here-"

"I love you," Archie suddenly said and her eyes flew open to stare up at his. He smiled with a chuckle, "Sorry to interrupt, but that's when it happens."

Ruby's mouth split into a grin and she jumped at him, pushing them both back and bumping them into the long couch for his patients. She fell on top of him and immediately pushed her lips onto his own. Her mouth worked hungry against his as her hands framed his face. His arms wrapped around her small frame and pushed back against her lips with his own. She broke the kiss and leaned over him, a large smile on her face as she looked down into his eyes.

"How many times have you said it?" she asked, her body pressed over his.

"I said it every time I sung to you," he started and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, "Every time that you and I talked together and you thought you heard me say something and I would shake it off or explain it away. Every time I couldn't stop myself from trying to say what I thought you wouldn't want to hear. I would say it _every_ time I didn't think you were listening… because I am a coward."

She furrowed her brows as her thumbs ran over his cheeks, "Then that makes two of us."

"How's that?" he asked.

"I said it every time I came to sit with you with a new cup of coffee," she started and rubbed her nose with his, "Every time I asked if you wanted to go run with me when you were a cricket and I was a wolf. Every time I would slow down from my morning run to walk with you and Pongo. Every time that I would wave to you through that window… I said it. Sometimes I knew it, and other times I didn't. Regardless, I always did, but apparently only when you weren't listening."

He was the one who smiled then and cupped the back of her head to bring her down to his lips again to give her a soft and romantic kiss. As they broke apart, both had permanent smiles on their faces.

Archie leaned his forehead up to hers, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ruby whispered and giggled, "Thanks for listening this time."

"Always," he whispered back.

**END**


	12. Backbone

**A/N**: I didn't think that I would get such a response when I asked for prompts for redcricket, but there they were the next day. This one is going to mash probably a few together. DJ Rocca had asked me to make one that makes Archie show off more of his backbone and maybe his thief side- and I couldn't agree more. So this one is for you, DJ Rocca… with more to come, I am sure.

"**Backbone"**

Archie stretched as he stepped out of his office building and looked forward to grabbing his regular cup of coffee and lunch at the diner across the street. He had seen so many patients through the morning, including both Mary Margaret and Regina, he really needed the break. By this time, Ruby already had his table ready and he was looking forward to seeing her smile again. He wrapped his tweed jacket around his chest a little tighter as a large gust of wind was blowing in from the water.

He entered the diner and looked at his booth- clean except for a single cup of coffee still steaming. He looked over at the counter at caught Ruby as she came out from the kitchen, a few plates held expertly in her hands. Her eyes snapped to his and she nodded toward his booth, telling him in a silent language that it was indeed his coffee that was on the table. He gave her a smile in return and took his seat as he waited patiently for her to join him as she often did.

He sipped on his coffee and brought only a file or two with him to look over while he waited. She was busy as the lunch rush had settled in, but she laughed and charmed every one of her patrons as they settled down into their seats for their meals. She seemed to ignore a rather loud gentleman toward the end of the bar seats as he would cat call and whistle at her as she passed. Archie threw a disgusted look toward the man before he turned his attention back to Ruby from over the top of his file. She stood just to the side of the register and was giving him that root beer kind of smile from behind the counter- the kind that was light, but had so much flavor hidden underneath.

She wiped off her hands with a dish towel and made her way over to his table and tapped at the outside of the file, "You're on your lunch, working is now prohibited. I thought that you would know this by how many times I bug you about it."

"It's always worth it to hear your voice telling me again," he said and put the files to the side as he looked up at her.

She smiled wide at the compliment and sighed as she shifted her hips to the side, "What will it be today? Turkey club? Soup of the day- cheddar and broccoli- or will you walk on the wild side and try the house special?"

"Surprise me," he chuckled at her teasing mood, "I trust your judgment."

"Oh, bad call, Jiminy," she giggled and shook her head with mock seriousness, "You're in for it."

"Should I take it back?"

"Too late now," she teased and threw him a wink.

He looked up at her wrist and dangling from it was a beautiful, yet delicate looking charm bracelet, "That's beautiful, Ruby. Where did you get it?"

"Granny gave it to me," she said with a smile, "It was from back home. Somehow it followed her and didn't end up in Gold's shop. Glad that it didn't."

"Me too, it looks beautiful on you."

"You're full of compliments tonight," she laughed it off before she turned from him, "I'll get our orders in and they'll be ready by the time for my break."

He laughed and turned to the bar where the man gave him a dark look and then looked out for when Ruby burst through the kitchen doors with more orders. Archie recognized the man vaguely. He was one of the hunters from Red's old village, one of the men that would try to hunt her when she was the wolf- before and after they knew it was her. Apparently habits die hard.

Ruby stepped out of the kitchen to clean up another table and slid the tip from the dirty table into her pocket before she put the dirty dishes into a large plastic tub. The man cleared his throat and picked himself from the bar to slide in next to her, leaning against the table she was cleaning. Archie tried to look nonchalant, but kept a close eye on the man as he didn't trust the hunter one bit around Ruby.

"I… uh, I remember you," he shook his finger in her face as she stood back just slightly from the distinct odor of alcohol on his breath.

"I remember that odor," Ruby waved her hand in front of her face and turned from the guy, "Too much mead, Patterson, and you will have to do into the drunk tank at the jail. You know we don't have much tolerance for drunkenness here."

"This coming from a woman who has eaten men, both literally and figuratively," he huffed out a laugh and then grabbed one of her wrists to pull her toward him, "But the full moon is a ways off and I have a way of charming many a beauties into bed."

"Not with that attitude and that breath," she pulled at her arm, but he only yanked it back toward him.

"Better not rub me the wrong way, wolf," he hissed into her ear, "Don't want to find arrows flying at you at the next full moon."

"Hey!" the man turned toward the voice and found Archie stomping toward him.

"What do you want, shrink?" the man bit out at him, still a strong grip on Ruby.

"I want you to let go of her," Archie nodded toward his hand on Ruby's wrist and the way the man was leaning over her. Archie frowned and tried to push himself between the man and Ruby, eventually cutting the man's access to her. His hand let go of her wrist and she slid fully behind Archie since she didn't want to even look at the man.

The man named Patterson leaned toward Archie with narrowed eyes, "What are you, the wolf's keeper?"

"I am a friend and a better human being from the look of it," Archie said with a frown and felt Ruby's hand press against his back in support and thanks.

"I really think you should want to get out of here," another voice said from behind the counter. Everyone turned toward that side and found Granny holding up her trusty crossbow, "Don't want to get hurt, do you?"

"No, I suppose I don't," he said as he eyed the crossbow and then began to back out of the diner. He looked at Archie and Ruby who now stood side by side as he nearly stumbled from the front swing door of the diner.

"Thank you, Archie," Ruby whispered from behind him.

Archie turned with a smile for her, "I wasn't going to let some hunter try to bully you. I know you can handle yourself, but I didn't like the way he was heading."

"You saved him from a black eye, that's for sure," she ran a hand through her hair and then stopped as she felt like something was missing. She looked at her wrist and found the charm bracelet was gone, "That bastard!"

"What's wrong?" Archie asked and then looked at the wrist, now with one less bracelet. He took a deep breath, ground his teeth in agitation and then walked toward the diner door, "I will be right back."

"Archie!" Ruby called after him, "Don't worry, it's not worth it. I will get it back another way."

"No, it's not right and he needs to understand that," Archie shook his head and opened the door to chase Patterson down.

Ruby turned to Granny, both a bit surprised from the outburst from the usually quiet man they knew. Ruby took off her apron and handed over the plastic tub full of plates and dishes over to Granny. She sighed as she realized what it was. It wasn't just the fact that this guy pushed himself on her; he also did what Jiminy's parents had done so long ago to countless others. He stole and did it in one of the most underhanded of ways.

"I'll go make sure that Patterson doesn't get too overboard," she told Granny and raced out the door after Archie.

Archie jogged down the street to catch up to Patterson and tugged on the man's shoulder, "Excuse me."

"I thought that you had enough," the man shouted and swung him arm at Archie, connecting to his upper chest.

"Oof," Archie coughed and fell a few steps back before he rubbed his chest and then brushed himself off. He took a breath to calm himself and then walked back up to the man, "You have something that isn't yours."

"Oh?" the man dug into his pocket and pulled out Ruby's charm bracelet and what looked like the tips that she had just picked up. She must have missed those over her upset of the bracelet. He swung the items in front of him, "You mean these?"

"You shouldn't take things that aren't yours," Archie frowned and shook his head.

The man put all the items back into his pocket and then took another swing at Archie, who now saw the anticipation move ducked out of the way. He stepped back from the man and took his arm to twist it behind Patterson's back. The man yelled out and turned out of Archie's grasp. He took a few steps back from Archie and rubbed his arm, "I never saw you as a fighter."

"Just because I don't like to fight doesn't mean that I won't," Archie said back and put his hands up to calm the man before he went for another hit, "Give me Ruby's things and you can walk off."

"You saying you'll take me down?" Patterson wheezed out a laugh, "I would like to see you try, Hopper."

Archie sighed and shook his head, "I never act offensively, just defensively. I have more respect for myself and for the other person. Even if they don't give it to themselves."

"Yak, yak, yak, Doc," Patterson rolled his eyes and lunged at Archie again.

Archie stepped to the side and grabbed the man by his middle and swung him into the bushes at the side of the cement so he wouldn't hurt himself. The man fumbled in the weeds for a moment and took another fumble of a run at Archie, which again he side stepped and swung him into another plot of bushes. The man mumbled something to himself and then took a violent swing at Archie and connected with his chin. Archie squinted at the force behind the punch, but didn't have time to throw any back. His shoes couldn't grip some of the gravel on the ground and he fell back.

"Stop it!" Ruby barked as she ran toward the two of them.

Patterson frowned at the intrusion and thought it would be better to take off than to face two fighters. He spat down at Archie and then ran off and around the corner.

"Coward!" Ruby yelled after him and then knelt next to Archie, "Archie, are you okay?"

Archie stretched out his jaw for a moment and then nodded up at her, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Didn't hit me as hard as he thought, I just slipped over the gravel."

"You were holding our own," Ruby smiled and held out a hand to help him off the ground, "Where did you learn that from?"

"Believe it or not, my parents," he straightened his jacket and brushed off the dirt from the sleeves.

"Your parents knew how to kick ass?" she raised a brow.

"Being pickpockets, if you were caught, you had to know how to defend yourself long enough to get away," he reasoned and looked after the path that Patterson had taken, "Too bad it was him that got away."

"It's okay, I will get a police report done with Emma or David to get my bracelet back," Ruby sighed.

"You don't need to for that," Archie smiled at her and pulled out the bracelet and her tips from his pocket, "I got that right here and the tips he stole, but I would seriously think about writing a report about him manhandling you."

"Archie!" her eyes widened and she looked at the bracelet and the money, her pocket suddenly feeling a lot lighter. She flicked her eyes from the items to his still smiling face, "How'd you…?"

"Remember, he isn't the only one who used to be a pickpocket," he handed over the items and patted her hand over them, "Just for the record… I never got caught."

Ruby stared at the bracelet and money cupped in her hands and then laughed loudly at the pieces fitting together. She gripped her hand and then flung her arms around Archie's neck in a fierce hug. She buried her face into his neck and laughed in surprise and happiness.

"Thank you so much, Archie!" she beamed and leaned back to look up to his face. She pecked him on the cheek and then grabbed his hand to pull him toward the diner, "Time for a well deserved lunch for you."

"What… what about a dinner?" he asked suddenly from behind her.

Ruby turned her head toward him and tilted her head, "Dinner?"

"Yeah," he pulled at the front of his jacket with his free hand and cleared his throat, "Dinner, with me. Later tonight, if you're free?"

Ruby smirked and put the money back in her pocket and held out her bracelet toward him. He raised an eyebrow, but took the bracelet anyway. She held out her wrist and he understood. He put the bracelet on easily and then turned her hand over to kiss the back of it. She gasped a little in surprise, but smiled immediately afterward.

"I would love to," she nodded at him and pulled at his arm to straighten him up. She looped her arm through his and then leaned her head on his shoulder, "You need to pick me up around six. Don't be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he shook his head.

"Good," she nodded and then turned to point up at him, "And I like-"

"Italian, I know," he nodded and pushed down her hand pointed at his face, "I was thinking of that place off of Main. You love their marinara sauce and their fettuccini, don't you?"

Ruby smiled happily up at him, "Is there anything you don't know about me?"

He thought for a moment and shook his head, "Unless there is a question I never had the courage to ask you?"

"Believe me, you have enough backbone for the two of us," she giggled and pulled him along faster to the diner to figure out the rest of their plans for the evening.

**END**

**A/N****: **Not exactly what I was going for, but it turned into this about half way through. Believe me, there will be more to come. Maybe not continuations of this, but definitely more Archie.


	13. Heal

**A/N**: This one was given to me by acoupletshort and I couldn't help but run with it first from their prompts. "Who heals the healer?"

"**Heal"**

A silence filled his office after his last patient. His head leaned back so he could look up at his blank ceiling as he took in the calm after the storm. It was a battle in itself to keep both Regina and Mary Margaret as patients, but he somehow made sure that they never crossed paths and he kept a tighter eye on Regina. She was now without her mother, she wanted to keep magic and she wants vengeance- badly. At his request, she was the only patient that he saw outside of his office, in a public place, but far enough that others could not over hear their conversations. That went over _really_ well with her highness, of course. Most of the time, it came down to walks around the town that she once ruled. Archie feared that she thought he was rubbing it in her face.

In truth, he was getting so tired of it all. One day she is on the right path, the next she is at her mother's side only days after she had possibly choked the life out of him. He didn't know what to make of it. Maybe she was right. He did only get his degree from a curse. Maybe he didn't know what he was doing. Maybe he was just making things worse.

"Knock, knock," a voice filtered in from his door that was left ajar.

Archie's face shifted into a small smile as he kept his eyes on the ceiling since his head was still back against the top of his chair, "Just leave the tea on the table and let me slip into a coma."

"I don't think so," she voice came closer though it had gained an amused tone to it. Ruby's face came into view as she leaned over Archie's and looked down into his eyes, "We already lost you for a while. Not going to let you slip away again. You have that bad of a day?"

"Try week," he groaned and leaned forward to straighten in his chair, "How was the diner today?"

"Busy as usual," she shrugged and jumped up to sit on his desk as she handed him the bag that she carried, "Your herbal tea and fresh chicken soup, straight from Granny's kitchen. She says hello."

"Send her my thanks and appreciation," he said with a fond, yet tired smile as he looked into the bag of goodies. He paused and put the bag on his desk before he began to rub his temples with another groan.

"God, Archie, it _has_ been a bad week, huh?" she furrowed her brows in worry and leaned toward him, "You don't put off eating like this usually. What's going on?"

"Everything supposedly," he ran an anxious hand through his hair and looked up at her, "Tell me something…"

Ruby's brows rose to tell him she was listening and nodded for him to continue.

"… am I really any help?" he asked with a defeated tone.

"How can you even ask that?" she said with a frown, "Archie, you've helped so many people here and back home."

"I'm not a real doctor," he added lamely.

"Who gives a shit?" Ruby asked and his eyes flew back at her. She huffed and shook her head with a pointed look at him, "Excuse my language."

That satisfied him enough for him to turn away again.

"Archie, listen to me," she reached for his hand and held it in both of hers. His eyes looked at their hands then up to her own to show he was listening intently and she continued, "It doesn't matter if that piece of paper on that wall is real or not. _You_ are. So are your feelings and passion for the people here in Storybrooke. You want to help them, help us… and believe me that is more than any of us could ask for."

"I feel so tired these days," he admitted and shook his head slowly.

"You did get kidnapped and tortured by a pirate captain and a witch recently. Heck, you were even dead for almost a week," she reminded him and tugged on his arm to show she was trying to be playful, "I doubt all of your bruises have healed."

"Not quite yet, no," he shook his head as his free hand absentmindedly ran over his still bruised side which Hook seemed to have favored.

"There you go," she nodded and pulled at his arm again, "Give yourself some time. You are going to burn yourself out if you push yourself too far too fast. We can all wait until you are up to it. I mean, who's going to heal the healer, huh?"

They both shared a short chuckle.

"Not everyone can wait," he shook his head, "You have no idea how bad Regina is right now."

"I have an idea," she growled, her eyes dropping down to where she held his hand tight. The vision of Regina entering his office the night that he 'died' replayed in her head, even though reason told her it was actually Cora.

"She didn't do it to me," he reminded her.

"I know…" she sighed and looked back up to his face, "It's just hard not to trust your eyes, you know?"

"I know," he nodded and gave her a small smile, "I don't think that she is trying anymore. At all, not even for Henry."

"I know you are trying to help her and trying to find the good left in her," Ruby said slowly and then let out a breath, "But if Henry isn't a motivator for her any longer… what hope is there left?"

He sighed heavily and looked her deep in the eyes, "Do you believe in me?"

She smiled back at him brighter, "I do."

"Then I have to keep trying. If not for her, then for the rest of us," he paused and took his turn to tug at her hands still around his one, "For you."

She laughed shyly, "You are good, Jiminy. You will always be. The day that we lose you forever, is a horrible day that I never want to relive."

"I promise that I will hold it off for as long as I can," he nodded.

"You better," Ruby nodded in agreement. After what looked like a moment of hesitation she pecked him quickly on the lips and stood up. She walked away from him before he could recover from her impromptu kiss and toward his door, "We need you around here, Doctor Hopper… I need you. Eat your soup, you'll feel better. I will see you tomorrow at the lunch rush."

With that last order to eat and a promise of another meeting tomorrow, she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Archie sat a little awestruck from the quick kiss. He smiled and leaned back to stare at the now closed door. He didn't know how she did it and was quite amazed by the recovery. His headache was gone and so were his worries. It wasn't the untouched soup, but the touching words and actions of his long time friend.

He lifted his hand to touch his fingers to his lips. He thought that he was the doctor out of the two of them, but he had to admit… He had never felt better.

**END**


	14. Matchmakers

**A/N**: This prompt came from Midnightsword on Tumblr. They gave me a huge list of prompts and I am so ready and happy to dive right into them. This is a couple of characters trying to play matchmaker with our dear wolf and cricket. I couldn't help but think of how fun it would be to have Henry and the new young Pinocchio trying to find happiness for their babysitter and conscience. I am also going to borrow an idea that I saw in another fiction of shortening a certain young boy's name. You know who you are.

"**Matchmakers"**

Henry found himself once again in Ruby's care as they walked down the Main Street of Storybrooke toward the diner and what Emma believed was a 'safe zone'. As they walked Henry shuffled his feet every other step, upset to yet again be out of the loop when it came time for the hero stuff. Ruby looked over at him and with a smirk she would kick at the sidewalk every time a shuffle was heard.

"I know you don't like being left out of the fight, Henry," she said to him as they neared the front of the diner, "Neither do I."

"Why don't they ever ask you to fight with them?" Henry asked in curiosity, "You're a hero just like they are."

"I am no hero," she chuckled sadly at that and rubbed the top of his head affectionately as she flashed him her teeth, "I just have a vicious bite. Emma and Snow know that and that's why they keep you with me. I'll use that bite to protect you. Believe me; I would do more good protecting you than trying to take down any 'villain'."

Henry had a thoughtful expression on his face, but kept quiet.

"Come on, hot chocolate on me," she pushed his head down in a sisterly tease and let him lead the way into the diner.

"Hello Ruby, Henry," Granny greeted them as they made themselves comfortable at the bar counter. Granny gave Henry a caring smile and leaned over the counter at him, "Hot chocolate for the gentleman, I suppose?"

"Yes, please," Henry nodded.

"Just the way you like it," she nodded with a wink.

"Can I please have some tea?" Ruby asked in an innocent, yet teasing voice toward her Granny who nodded and gave her the same expression back.

"Coming up," Granny walked toward the back counter to get the warm beverages together.

"Jiminy! This is amazing!"

Both Ruby and Henry swiveled in their seats and looked toward the middle of the dining room where Archie sat with a much younger and almost unrecognizable Pinocchio. The young boy had both of his hands wrapped around the large mug on the table. His lips seemed to be glued to the rim as he sipped at the hot chocolate. Archie looked around nervously and chuckled at the young boy.

"It's just hot chocolate, Pinoke," he said with an abbreviated version of his name.

"But I've never had it before," Pinocchio finally pulled away and looked up at his mentor with a happy glow to his eyes.

"You haven't had it as Pinocchio, that's right," Archie reminded himself that the boy had no memories of himself as August, the stranger who rode in on a motorcycle and watched over an unknowing princess.

"When's papa going to get here?" Pinocchio asked and kicked his feet back and forth under the table.

"When he finishes that piece for Mister Gold," Archie huffed and looked at his watch. The poor man had waited years to be reunited with his son and Gold just had to have that piece restored today? It was no doubt related to his intentions of wooing Belle- or Lacey, as she liked to be called now.

Ruby turned back to Henry and nodded her head toward the two at the table, "Have you met the new August?"

"I saw him turn from a wooden August back to Pinocchio," Henry said with a nod and watched the young boy in wonderment, "It's still weird to see him this way. Even weirder considering he dated Emma a couple of times."

Ruby gave an uncomfortable chuckle and remembered her own harmless flirting with August as he talked about lemurs, "Yeah, definitely weird."

"This is the way he's going to stay from what I gathered from Marco," Granny said as she put down their cups in front of them, "He doesn't remember being August."

"Poor kid's probably confused worse than the rest of us," Ruby muttered and sipped at her tea, "At least he doesn't have a Storybrooke identity to fight with in his head."

"Hmm," Henry hummed and brought out the fairy tale book from his bag. Neal had handed it back to him after he had a long talk with his girlfriend. He held the book in one hand and picked up the hot chocolate with the other. Ruby watched him as he hopped off his chair and walked towards Archie and Pinocchio.

"Hey there, Henry," Archie smiled at him as he stopped at the table. He looked behind Henry to see Ruby at the counter, watching him protectively even when she didn't have to. He nodded toward her and she relaxed visibly and smiled back at him. He slowly dragged his eyes back from Ruby and toward Henry, "Ruby looking out for you today?"

"Emma says she's doing some dangerous stuff again," Henry huffed and sat in one of the left over chairs at the side of their table. He put the book on the table and then looked over at Pinocchio. He took a deep breath and pushed his hand out toward the lad, "Hi, I'm Henry."

"Pinocchio," he replied and shook Henry's hand, "What book is that?"

"It's a very special book about all of us here in Storybrooke," Henry explained and opened the book to the page where there was a picture of Pinocchio and Gepetto, "Even you."

"Wow, a book with _me_ in it?" Pinocchio's eyes widened and he scooted closer to Henry to look at the picture and read some of the words.

"It helped me convince my mom that she was the savior that was going to save all of us," Henry explained and then paused, "You tried to as well."

"Me?… I- I don't remember," Pinocchio said sadly.

"I know you don't," Henry sighed and shrugged, "I can tell you the story though. I could tell you all of them."

"Thank you," Pinocchio said eagerly and turned toward Henry.

Archie watched the two boys interact and took his coffee and walked over to the seat that Henry had vacated. Ruby was still on her seat, facing the two boys, tea in hand. She smirked behind the rim as Henry gestured wildly about the first casting of the curse.

"Did my charge take over?" she asked without even tossing him a look.

"It's good for Pinoke to get some good interaction with someone in his age bracket," Archie said and turned in his chair to face the same way that she did.

"You're still good with him," Ruby said offhandedly, "You've always been good with kids."

"I hope so after raising Gepetto and Pinoke… it looks like possibly twice."

Ruby giggled at the possibility, "Marco is here. He will help you out. Where is he, by the way?"

"Finishing something for Mister Gold," Archie hummed disapprovingly into his cup and looked into the swirling, dark liquid, "Something to do with Bell- er, Lacey."

"Yeah, she's become quite a wild child. I might even venture even more so than what Ruby was. Good 'ol Rumple found something not fixed by magic, imagine that," Ruby muttered afterward. She watched as Pinocchio's spine straightened as he pointed toward her and Archie while Henry quickly shushed him, his eyes darting everywhere else other than their direction. She giggled under her breath and turned to Archie, "Did you see that?"

"What?" Archie's head snapped to the boys, now very much on alert.

"Don't look now, but I think that we are being talked about," Ruby shifted her eyes toward the two boys who were now whispering and then back to Archie, "One of his stories not written in the book?"

"Maybe," Archie shook his head with a smile, "Henry always is a great story teller."

Suddenly the two boys hopped out of their seats and walked over to Archie and Ruby. Henry, with the book under one arm looked at them both, "Is it okay if Pinocchio hangs out with us today, Ruby?"

"Oh, um," Ruby stuttered and looked between the two boys and then turned to Archie, "… is it okay with you, Archie?"

"Please, Jiminy!" Pinocchio clasped his hands together in a pleading manner, "I want to hear some more stories."

"What are you doing today?" Archie asked Ruby as the two boys pleaded.

"We were going to the library- keep an eye on it while Belle is out of commission," Ruby shrugged, "Maybe a short walk through the park down the street."

Archie took a deep breath and looked at the clock on the wall, "Well, your father won't be done any time soon. I guess he wouldn't mind. Go ahead."

"Yes!" Henry punched the air and went over to down the last of his hot chocolate. Ruby smiled and shook her head at the kid. She tugged at her jacket again in preparation of leaving. Archie stayed where he was and sipped at the last of his coffee.

"You're coming too, aren't you?" Pinocchio looked up at his mentor.

"Well, I…" Archie seemed lost and looked at Ruby.

She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "You think that you were going to dump another kid on me and get off scot free? You are coming with us."

"Guess so," Archie smiled at her lighthearted tease. He grabbed his umbrella and tugged on his jacket that he left at the table.

"I'll be back later, Gran," Ruby called out before she walked out behind the two boys. She smiled brightly at Archie as he held the door open for her. Archie turned back to Granny with a wave before he followed them out.

Granny smiled and shook her head in amusement, "Take your time, dear."

"Shall we?" Archie held out his arm toward Ruby as they reached the bottom of the steps.

"Always the gentleman, aren't you?" Ruby asked with a smirk and eyed him with a raised brow.

"I can always try," he shrugged and pushed his arm toward her again. With a nod of her head, she looped her arm through his and they walked comfortably down the sidewalk.

As the four of them walked the two boys led the way toward the library while Ruby and Archie followed a few steps behind them. Henry was now describing how Emma had broken the curse and how all that was needed was true love. He described many of the different couples of Storybrooke and how many of the residences have their true loves nearby. Even while under the curse they were connected, while they weren't aware of it, of course. Most of the couples have found one another, but others who weren't written in the book were starting to form on their own.

Pinocchio nodded in understanding, but suddenly stopped and looked back at Archie, "Jiminy?"

"Yes, Pinoke?" Archie asked with a smile, his one hand holding his umbrella and the other shoved casually in his pocket. Ruby was still comfortably attached at his arm and they looked like they had been talking over casual things.

"Have you found your true love, too? Just like everyone else?"

Archie's instantly lit up in a bright blush and his coughed into his hand, opposite from Ruby to try and hide it. He hit at his chest a little to clear it from any and all spit that may have been caught in his windpipe. Ruby felt her own cheeks burn a little, though she was at a loss for the reason. She unwound her arm from his and chuckled good naturedly at Archie's complexion.

"I know it can be kind of hard to understand," Ruby answered for Archie who was still trying to reign in his blush. She knelt down to Pinocchio's height and held his hands in hers, "Sometimes, not everyone gets a chance at happy ever after. Sometimes, the chance is taken from us. Not everyone gets their true love in a happy package like Snow White and Charming."

Pinocchio frowned at the answer, "I don't believe that."

Ruby smiled sadly at the boy and took a breath to add on, but he beat her to it.

"I have always believed that your ending is what you make of it. Be good and follow your heart, and your other half will come to you- whoever they may be. You treat others with disrespect and disgrace you will only bring the same to yourself. I choose to follow my heart this time and maybe someday, I will be as lucky as Snow White."

Ruby stood a little speechless at the young boy's words. Thinking that they may have been something he learned as August peeking through she smiled brightly as she asked, "Where did you learn that and become such a wise young man?"

"Jiminy taught it to me," Pinocchio looked down at her and said it as if it was the natural choice.

"Come on, Pinocchio! You have got to see this place!" Henry yelled from a few feet ahead as he unlocked the library's doors and pulled them open. Pinocchio ran toward him with a chuckle and followed him into the building.

Ruby stood up and turned around to look at her friend, just a step behind her. She tilted her head in thought and smirked at him seeing that his blush was fading, "You taught him that?"

"He- he uh, wondered why he didn't have a mother," Archie shrugged and cleared his throat as he stepped up next to her, "I explained that his father had lost his wife and true love before he was even made. He wanted his father to be happy and have another true love. He asked me if it was possible. I told him what I believed."

"You really think that a person can have two true loves?" Ruby asked with a bright glint of hope in her eyes.

Archie smiled warmly at her and took her hands in his. He carefully lifted them to his lips and kissed the back of them while keeping eye contact with her. Afterward he squeezed them between his own and nodded, "I certainly hope so. I have for a long, long time…"

Ruby's breath caught and her mind burst in thoughts as they raced and bounced against the sides of her skull. She felt the warm burn of the blush come back to her cheeks. She looked down at their hands between the two of them and took a deep breath.

"Me too…" she whispered and looked up at Archie who was trying to catch her eyes.

Archie kissed the back of her hand again after a moment of silence and pulled her toward the library and their two charges.

Henry and Pinocchio looked out from the side window at their two sitters. Henry smiled and pushed at Pinocchio lightly in the shoulder, "See! I told you it would work. Great job, by the way."

"You don't think that it was considered a bad thing, do you?" Pinocchio asked a little worried.

"Well, it wasn't a lie," Henry pointed out and turned from the window toward the closest bookshelf as Ruby and Archie came toward the building. Henry picked up at book and nodded at Pinocchio to do the same, "Besides, this will make them happy. If the book is correct, which it usually is, Jiminy always held a flame for Red Riding Hood. And Ruby has always looked for that one guy."

"Jiminy can be that guy. He deserves to find someone and be happy- just like Papa does."

"He's our next project," Henry said with a mischievous smile, "I hear that he and granny get along really well."

"I really like her," Pinocchio nodded and quickly grabbed a book as Ruby and Archie came through the doors.

Henry agreed in a whisper and smiled as the two sitters turned the book stacks to find them, hands clasped tightly in one another's.

**END**


	15. Torn

**A/N**: Another one from Midnightsword. "Red tries to find Jiminy as the curse tears the castle apart"

"**Torn"**

She heard it coming even before Grumpy began to ring the warning bell on the tallest of the castle's towers. The dark magic rushing through the woods and their home made horrible noise and the woods themselves screamed in fear of what was to come. The carriage that led the large purple storm was loud on the dirt and cobblestone roads it raced over. Red stood at one of the open windows as she saw it approach them as Granny settled at her side.

A gentle, yet reassuring hand settled on Red's back, "We have to be brave, Red. If for nothing else… for Snow and James."

"I know," Red said with her chin lifted in defiance of the curse rapidly approaching.

Both of the Lucas women looked up as they heard Grumpy's urgent warning of the coming curse finally ring.

"We need to get to the inner chamber," Granny reminded her and held her arms as she turned them both from the window.

Red let her grandmother lead her until she saw Gepetto running toward them. She looked at the tears in the man's eyes and instant worry bloomed in her heart.

"Where is Pinocchio?" Granny asked instantly.

"He is safe," Gepetto said with a small, sad smile and nodded toward the hallway that would lead them into the inner chamber set up by the royals.

Red looked over Gepetto's shoulder to see if she could see her dear friend, but when she didn't see or hear the fluttering of green wings, her heart jumped in fear. She turned to the man who had always been like family through his friendship with Granny, "Where is Jiminy? Is he with Pinocchio?"

Gepetto shook his head, "He went to help with the others in the castle. To keep them calm during the transition."

"Sounds like something he would do," Red growled and shook her head. She stepped from them as she pushed them both toward the inner chambers, "Go, I need to find him before one of the black knights decide to stomp him once they reach inside the castle."

"Red!" Granny yelled out in a last moment try to keep her granddaughter with her. It was too late, Red had already run from the hallway and toward the hall where most of the staff had decided they would gather. Granny looked out the window and felt the ground shake as the curse began to envelope them.

"Come, she is strong," Gepetto reminded her and pulled at her arm.

"You don't know the half of it," she said with a nod and followed him through the heavy door.

* * *

Red ran from one hall to the other, careful not to run into the evil queen's black knights. They had begun to spill into the passageways to take down any who dared to step in their way. She knew herself as a force to be reckoned with, but without help of her wolf half, she would have to defend herself with a sword blade- and she wasn't as skilled on it as she was with her fangs. It was better to just stick to the outlying passageways to find her friend.

"Jiminy," she whispered as she tried to decide between two hallways. She knew that he would stay with those who were too afraid. He would give them comfort and words of strength when the curse would settle over them. She heard the strong gusts of wind beating the outside of the castle, slowly tearing at it, destroying Snow's home. The hall to her left suddenly tore away from the purple vortex and made her decision for her.

The curse had now broken through the castle and was inside. If she was going to find him, she would have to be quick. She looked over her shoulder and saw the purple cloud at first head back along the hallway from where she had come from. Then it turned its attention after her.

"Oh no," she whispered and began to run through the hallways. She had passed a couple of the dark knights and before they were able to chase her down they were covered by the purple cloud. She heard their cries and shook her head. Apparently they faired no better in the curse than the rest of them would. She ducked into one of the lesser used passageways and the cloud didn't seem to follow her immediately. She let out a breath before she continued on toward the Grand Hall.

Red ran through the right hall past kitchens and small dining quarters for servants. She knew that the Grand Hall was just a few doors down now. Many of the others under the Charming's care decided that it would be the place together once the curse took hold. As she grew closer to the large doors she heard yelling from inside. She walked to the doors and peeked in.

There were three of the black knights surrounding the small group of people in the hall. In front of the group, Red could see the small, floating form of her friend. One of the knights kept advancing, but even as a small cricket, Jiminy kept his ground. The people he was meant to comfort were huddled against one another and behind him as if he could do much more than warn them with words of things to come.

"You cannot force us to do anything," he said and held his umbrella in front of him as if to use it in defense, "The curse is upon us. There is nothing you can do worse than that."

"We could just kill you all," one of the faceless knights said and made the group of people cry out in fear. Curse or not, there was no magic that could bring you back from death.

"There are worse things than death," Jiminy said sadly and looked down at his umbrella and then his hand, "Like knowing love, but never able to act on it because of a wish turned curse…"

Red heard the sadness in his voice and the forlorn look in his eyes, "Oh, poor Jiminy…"

Jiminy looked up from the umbrella and pointed at the man in front of him, "I will not let you hurt these people."

"What is a cricket to do?" the knight chuckled and plucked Jiminy quickly out of the air, "Sing a song?"

There was a loud noise and suddenly the two fellow knights that were with him fell to the floor on either of his sides. He turned, Jiminy still in his grasp. There stood Red with the short sword in her hand with the knight's blood on the blade. She shoved the blade at the man's throat and growled, the golden flash of the wolf crossed her eyes.

"Would you be so kind as to drop my friend?" she growled out.

The man put up his hands and let Jiminy drop from his hand. Jiminy regained his flight abilities and flew over to land on Red's shoulder.

"Thank you," she said in a short tone and circled the man so that he was now between her and door, "I think it would be a good idea to leave us for our last moments before this curse takes us all."

The man hesitated and looked at her confused.

Red frowned and stepped forward with a bark, "GO!"

The man took the message and ran out of the hall. Red sighed and tried to clean the blade on her skirts before she put it back in the scabbard. She looked at the group of people first and made sure that there weren't any injuries. Most of the group were women and children. How dare those cowards try to terrorize them- they were all scared enough as it was.

"Thank you, Miss Red," one of the women she remembered had been a server at the royal table called out to her.

"You're welcome," Red nodded to her and let them comfort one another as another tremor shot through the castle from the curse raging outside.

"Red."

She turned her attention to the cricket on her shoulder. Jiminy jumped from her shoulder to fly in front of her face. If she didn't know any better, she would think that he was frowning at her. She held out her hands under him so he could take a break from flying. He landed and crossed his arms after he placed his umbrella on his back. So he was cross with her.

"Why aren't you in the inner chambers?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"I could ask you the same," she threw back and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I can't do much, but my words have given comfort to those in the past. If it could do the same now, I wasn't going to let people sit in fear if I can do what I can to relieve some of that fear," he explained.

"What about my own fear?" she asked and immediately regretted it, "I'm sorry that sounds selfish- but I was afraid for you. Jiminy, those men could have killed you."

"They could have killed them all," Jiminy shook his head, "If I could distract them until the cloud fell on us completely, it would have been worth it."

"Not worth your life," she whispered harshly to him.

A large crash and screams echoed from outside the large hall doors. She kept Jiminy in her hands as she looked through the doors and down the hall. There, the purple cloud was rushing toward them. Red gasped loudly and shut the large doors and locked them as if it would keep them safe. She stepped away from the doors as they began to shake. The people behind her cringed with fear and she walked to them to stand between them and the threat.

"We knew that this curse was coming," Jiminy started and flew from Red's hands to try and calm the small group with them, "Hold one another and be thankful that we are at least together. We will be together still whatever may happen. She can't take all our happiness- our savior is saved and she will return for us."

This seemed to calm some of the adults and hope shone through the eyes of the children. Mothers coddled their children and friends clasped hands with one another. Jiminy flew back over to Red and she held out her hand for him again. He landed and she sat to the side of the room, still between the curse raging at the door and the people. She held her hands in her lap and looked down at Jiminy.

"Red…" he started and she leaned over him.

"Jiminy," she said back.

"If this curse is the end of us-"

"It isn't," she shook her head immediately, "The savior will set us all free."

"But if it is," Jiminy patted her thumb to his side to focus her attention to him, "I just wanted to say… you- you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Inside and out… and I want you to know that my last happy moments were my happiest because they were spent with you."

"Jiminy," she smiled as a single tear fell down her face. She pulled her hands put toward her face to look at him face to face, "You are the best man I have ever known. I could not- and would not ask for anyone else to spend these moments with."

The doors to the hall burst inward and the thick, purple cloud filled the hall in one rush.

Red pulled Jiminy to her chest, closed her eyes against the curse they now faced and whispered down to him, "Please, don't let me go."

"Never, Red," he promised.

Everything after that was purple mist and a rush of memories not their own.

**END**


	16. Almost Lover

**A/N**: This one was inspired by the song "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy. The story isn't going in the same storyline of the song, but it inspired me. The time of day is a little off from the show. A different story began to grow in my mind and this is the result. Hope you enjoy.

"**Almost Lover"**

Ruby felt so out of place on her morning jogs now. She passed by the old shipping yards by the docks, Miss Ginger's home at the far corner of town and finally the convent before she would turn around to head back to the bed and breakfast. It was the same route that she had always taken since her instinct to run kicked back in. The same scenery, the same people getting up and ready for the day. It was all the same as it has been since the curse broke.

The problem was… he wouldn't be there. She would usually see him on her way back on the docks with Pongo. He would wave to her as she passed by and ask her how she was. Sometimes she would slow down and walk with him and her favorite canine along the docks. They would talk about one another's day prior and catch up on anything that may be new since the last time they had the chance to talk.

This time, as she turned at the convent, her momentum stopped. She realized this would be the first time he wouldn't be there.

Her jogging pace slowed to a walk as her mind wandered. Images flashed through her mind- things from long ago and others from only last week. All the times when things made sense- when he was still alive. Ruby rubbed her hands together to keep circulation, but all she could think of what how he would hold her hand as they talked, as she told him her nightmares. His fingertips would play along the back on her hand as he reassured her. A soothing touch that was as natural as breathing for both of them- a touch that would never be felt again.

The warmed hands clenched and flexed in the Maine cold. A light wind rippled through the trees around her, but she refused to look at the tree line. That's where he was buried. Under the shade of the trees, his trusty umbrella against his headstone. With a shake of the head she cleared the picture from her mind. Then a song sprung from the trees.

A lovely cricket song.

Her eyes closed without bidding as the song reached her. She remembered back in the Enchanted Forest when she couldn't sleep because of her guilt. Human or wolf, his cricket lullabies were the only things that could get her to sleep without difficulty. They would talk most of the night as see would fall asleep as he sang to her. More than once she caught such sadness in his eyes as he sang. She asked him about it once, but he said that it was a trick of the light. She would call it the sweetest sadness she had even seen. Clever trick or not. The crickets stopped chirping as the town began to wake up. Ruby was thrown back into reality and it stung deeply.

She never wanted to see him unhappy and he told her that he never wanted more than her happiness. A single question prodded at her.

What would have happened if she had told him what he meant to her? Would they have stayed friends or maybe developed into something more? She couldn't help thinking that she had lost her chance. Archie, the great man that he was could have been the one. An almost lover, now a hopeless dream…

A deep breath later and she tried to kick herself into a jog again. She wanted to remember him, but she didn't want to think on the should haves… think of him.

"Should have known this would happen," she muttered out from under tears, "First Peter and now you… Archie."

With another cleansing breath, she paced a slow jog toward the shipping yard and then home.

* * *

Hook dropped Archie's face from his grip and let the poor man breath again. The pirate scoffed and walked out from the lower deck toward the top deck. If past beatings were any indication, Hook wouldn't be back for a while. It gave Archie some time to think and recover before he came back.

Archie popped his neck in his effort to look up. His breathing was labored, but shallow behind the old gag Hook had shoved in his mouth. He clenched his eyes shut against the pain caused to his ribs. Carefully, he leaned back and rested his head against the wood of the ship. It was there that memories played.

He remembered being in the middle of a crowd. He was in front of Regina's home, a lynching party all around him. The royals stopped it from happening, but in that crowd so full of hate and anger, he felt the pull of something beautiful. Some_one_ beautiful. Ruby was right next to him and had unconsciously looped her arms through his. Reawakening memories of his time with her as a cricket filled in all the gaps. How he would lull her asleep and keep her safe from her nightmares and how she would talk and laugh with him through the nights. Her arm felt so right and he was thankful that he was now a man able to enjoy the comfortable weight of it on his.

Another flinch or pain shot from his side and another memory triggered. It was during the last Miner's Day celebration. He sat to the side to watch the festivities. People were dancing to the live music and walked from booth to booth in search of trinkets. He smiled at the people as they passed by him with a nod of their heads. Then there was sudden hand in his and he was pulled to the dance floor. He was face to face with the beautiful Ruby Lucas. He was flustered, of course, as he had harbored feelings for the young waitress.

'I don't have good rhythm,' he admitted.

'I don't care if you have two left feet. You're dancing,' she had told him with a playful smirk. He only nodded and at the end of their dance, she thanked him with a kiss- a quick kiss to the lips. It would be something he would never forget. She told him that she wouldn't either; she never saw him blush so bright.

He laughed softly at the memory and it reminded him where he really was. He hoped that both Ruby and Red would forgive him should he not get out of the mess he was in. He always hated to see her cry- even worse if he was the cause of her tears.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," he whispered to himself through the gag. He knew if he ever left the ship and made it back to her, he would make up from lost time. He would love her the way she always deserved.

Footsteps were heard outside and he knew he wouldn't leave this place alive. In his mind, he said goodbye and so long to the luckless romance. He turned to the holding door, ready to face whatever may come. It must be less painful than what he heart was going through.

* * *

Ruby had made it through the rest of her jog without incident or interruption until she got to the shipping yard. The docks were empty, even more so than what they usually were. She stopped by one of the benches and remembered a time where they had both taken a rest on it to watch the waves. They had spent most of the day out on that bench talking about anything and everything.

She turned away as tears began to choke her. She couldn't even look out at the ocean without thinking about him. Knowing Regina was still out there, she was hesitant to even drive the town at night. All because of what she had done to him.

"You're gone and yet you haunt me," Ruby whispered and couldn't move herself from her spot near the bench. Her hands gripped the wood of the back rest so hard that the knuckles turned white, "… and I don't know if I want you to stop. I want you to come back."

* * *

'…come back.'

His eyes fluttered as he tried to wake up. He could see her in front of him. She was here. She was reaching out for him

"Red," he moaned out and could hear her low chuckle in response.

He tried to clear his eyes and slowly shook his head to do so, but as he did so, she disappeared. She faded into the shadows and lights of the holding cabin and he sighed sadly. He couldn't even wake up without her on his mind anymore. He just hoped that she was safe.

"I bet you are just fine," he said out loud and closed his eyes as a headache began again, "You are going to be fine."

Suddenly he heard a set of foot falls on a staircase not too far away. They were hesitant and cautious- nothing like those of the ship's captain. Archie's heart sped up in hope that it wasn't another hostage. The door he heard so often opened in the room above him and he took his chance.

"Hello?" he called out.

"Uh… he-hello?" an unsure voice asked.

He smiled in somewhat relief. It was someone else. Someone from town. He heard a few more hesitant footfalls toward him and he nearly jumped in his seat, "Down here!"

The cover slowly opened and there on the other side was-

"Belle!" he smiled wider, "Oh, thank God."

"A-archie…" she looked at him in both confusion and relief, "Yo-you're okay."

"Y-yes, I-I am," he said in similar confusion, "C-could you, uh…"

After Belle got him out from his prison, he ran tried to talk her into coming with him. She had something to do and somehow, he understood. He ran up the stairs and off of the ship to the docks. He let out a breath as he had winded himself. He was never so happy to see the docks before now. He ran his hand over the planks and then pushed himself up. It wouldn't do any good to stay on the dock when he didn't know when Hook would be back. He would have to warn and tell Gold just as Belle had asked.

Archie walked quickly along the docks and passed Gold on his way. The man was just as shocked to see him as Belle was, but listed to Archie as he told him where Belle was and she would need help. The Dark One nodded quickly and passed the man toward the invisible ship. Archie took a cleansing breath. He never liked the idea of violence, but he knew that with Gold going to sort Hook out, the pirate would not be up for any beatings for quite a while.

He remembered that he walked these same docks nearly every morning with Pongo. He smiled and knew that in the back of his mind he knew it was also where she would run. Another one of the many reasons he enjoyed his walk here. His pace slowed just for a few moments when he spotted a figure near one of his favorite benches. It didn't take him much longer until he instantly knew who it was.

"Ruby…" he breathed out and saw her back straighten. She always had good hearing. He smiled in relief that it was her and he wasn't seeing things again. With a few more steps he reached out toward her, though he was too far to touch her, "…Red."

Ruby turned slowly and his feet stopped moving. Her eyes were full of tears, tear tracks already marked down her face. Her bottom lip quivered and she blinked to see him clearly through her lashes. She let out a gasp and then a sob shook her body. She took a step toward him and looked him over from the bottom, up.

"A-Archie?" she whispered toward him. He didn't even get in a full nod before she sprinted toward him and wrapped him in a tight hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around his chest and waist and her face buried itself in his vest and tie. Her shoulders shook in relieved sobs and her hands clenched around the material of his vest.

His arms wrapped around her gently and smoothed over her back and then through her hair. He placed light kisses in the strands and closed his eyes as his own tears began to prickle behind his lids. He tried to say things to her, things that would calm her, but he couldn't get words out. All he wanted to do was be in her arms and her in his and let the rest of the world go.

"Shh, it's okay, Red. I'm okay," he finally said into her hair. His ribs were going to hurt like Hell later with how hard she was squeezing over some carefully placed kicks from a certain captain, but he felt it was worth it all.

"It's no-not okay," she said through tears and wiped at her eyes to clear them. She kept a tight grip around him with one hand, while the one that had wiped at her face reached up and cupped his cheek. Her thumb ran over his cheek and she smiled through what he knew now were happy tears, "Archie… Jiminy, you were dead."

"What?"

"We all thought that she killed you," Ruby fought another sob and shook her head. Her hand moved from his cheek to his hair, still in disarray, "I thought that I'd lost you."

His heart jumped at the confession and he looked down in her eyes, "Red, you'll never lose me. Ever… I promise."

Ruby smiled and took her other arm from around his waist and cupped both her hands over his cheeks. She then leaned up and kissed him. Her arms bent just enough to pull her up to him and her eyes closed.

Archie was more than surprised, but thought that he reacted pretty quickly as his arms tightened around her and he kissed her back. All the feelings he had been hiding, all the missed opportunities and thoughts of goodbyes were pushed into the kiss. One of his hands moved into her hair, to help her stay close to him, the other secured around her waist.

Neither let one another go for the longest time. Ruby eventually leaned back and their lips separated just slightly. She smiled with her eyes still closed and didn't open them until she felt his forehead lean against hers. Both eyes opened to look into the others. He leaned forward and began to kiss away the tears that still graced her cheeks; no longer afraid to show his affection for her.

He made it around the side of her face and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

Ruby chuckled low and nodded as she turned her face to look into his eyes again, "I love you, too."

They stood with one another, just basking in the glow of their reunion and confessions. Ruby leaned up and nuzzled her nose with his and then looked at him pointedly.

"I am putting my foot down on something," she said and pointed a finger in his face.

"Already making demands?" he chuckled happily and caught the hand pointed at him with one of his and kissed the finger she had pointed. Her face softened at the gesture. He nodded at her, "I will do anything you ask of me that is within my power."

"Don't you ever die on me again," she said in a whisper and furrowed her brows in worry, "Ever."

"I'm not immortal, Red," he smiled and hugged her close, "But I promise I will live as long as I can. If not for me or Marco, than I will do it for you. I'd do anything for you."

It was an echo from her past- something that she had told someone long ago. She knew he meant it and she melted back into his embrace.

"I was about to tell you goodbye," she said into his shirt and vest, "I thought that I was alone again."

"For a few moments, I thought so too," he said and kissed the top of her head, "But, thankfully, we were both wrong. I will promise you something, Ruby. No more heartbreak, no more saying goodbye. I am here, I am fine, and I will stay. For you."

Ruby smiled against him and everything else seemed to fade away. All that mattered was that he was alive, it wasn't a dream and he was hers.

"Come on," he whispered to her and pulled away just slightly, "I have a few people to tell I am alive since everyone seems to think otherwise."

"Okay, but I refuse to leave your side," she nodded and walked with him toward Main Street.

**END**


	17. Dancer

**A/N**: Prompt from otpprompts on Tumblr: "Imagine Person B is listening to music in their bedroom. A song they really like comes on their mp3/phone/other device so they get up and dance like nobodys' business. After a moment or two he/she yells in alarm as Person A, who has been at the window since the song started, calls out to them, "Ya havin' fun?" It's a short one, but I'm uploading another one right after it. Enjoy!

"**Dancer"**

Archie leaned back in his home office chair and let out a large breath. His hand went to his forehead and rubbed his temples. It had been a long week and it looked like it would be even longer with all the developments that have been happening throughout Storybrooke. Between Regina losing her mother, Belle turning into Lacey- or as Ruby had named her 'the anti-Belle'- and not to mention Mary Margaret's fight with her self-described darkening heart, he was swamped. He closed the top file and picked himself out of his chair. He wanted to help, but it was time to take a break and unwind.

He shut the door to his home office and crossed the hall toward his bedroom. Pongo picked up his head just a little as his master entered, but quickly put it back down. He felt his master's agitation and knew that it would only add to it if he jumped up to greet him. He let out a comfortable sigh and turned in his dog bed to go back to sleep.

The bedroom was quiet and so was the rest of the home. Archie scratched his head. Even though he wanted a rest from his work, he definitely was not in the mood for complete silence. It felt too, unreal and unnatural. He turned to the small record player he had in the corner, a gift from Marco during the setting of the curse. Marco had told him that it was a project that he had completed and no longer had room in his garage workshop for. Archie happily agreed to take it off his hands at the time.

After a small look through the records he had in the case next to it, he put on some upbeat jazz music. He put the needle to the record and shut his eyes as the beat began to fill the room. There wasn't much in his room other than his Queen sized bed, dresser and Pongo's bed. It seemed like the music seemed to fill up the rest.

Soon he felt the music move over him and his feet began to tap on the floor and then began to move. He smirked at the unconscious movements and pushed himself from the record player and took off his sweater vest and undid the top button of his shirt. If he was going to unwind, he wasn't going to let his attire slow him down. He shuffled his feet in time to the music and began to hang up the vest in the closet before he moved back toward the record player. It was then that the next song started and a large grin over took his face. It was one of his favorites.

In the Mood seemed to blast from the record player and Archie couldn't help himself at that point. He started from the furthest part of the room and slid across the hard wood floor and then went into kicking steps. He swung his arms as if he was throwing out all his frustrations and the worries of his friends and clients. He turned and clapped in time with the music as his feet kept going. He was suddenly grateful for the lack of clutter in his bedroom. He may think about doing more of this in the future.

The music kept him going through the whole song and in his own little world. So much so that he didn't hear his front door open or see Pongo perk his head up and get up from his bed to meet the visitor. The dalmatian walked down the hallway and met Ruby in the front room, hanging up her black jacket. He huffed a welcome at her and she beamed down at the dog.

"How's my good boy?" she asked and rubbed the top of his head and then fished out a wafer from the pocket of her hung jacket. She looked around the room and in the kitchen. No Archie. She hummed and then looked down at the dog, "Where's daddy, huh?"

Pongo swallowed the rest of the wafer and looked back toward the bedroom. It was then that Ruby heard the beats of music and clapping. She smiled at the noise, though her curiosity was peeked. She patted Pongo on the head again and walked down the hallway toward the bedroom. She pushed open the door and peeked in where Archie was now kicking his feet forward in a jazzy swing step. Pongo came in next to her and walked back calmly to his bed where he decided to watch his master.

Ruby leaned against the door frame and had to say that she was pretty impressed by his steps. She didn't know that he even knew how to dance, and now wondered if he knew how to with a partner. He was halfway through his next song when he turned toward the door and let out a yell. He fell out of rhythm and fell back to the floor. Ruby giggled into her hand and then walked over to him calmly. She leaned over him with a large smile.

"Ya havin' fun?" she asked cheekily.

Archie chuckled embarrassed from the floor as he looked up at her, "Wasn't expecting you home so early."

"So thought you'd have a dance off, love bug?" she asked again and helped him off the floor. She straightened his shirt and little and dusted him off, "I didn't know you know how to dance like that."

"Marco gave me the record player, I thought that I would give it some good use," Archie explained and then sighed, "I had to unwind from the day."

"Ah," she nodded and held his hands between the two of them before she leaned up and pecked him on the lips.

He smiled down at her and turned to the record player before he turned back to her, "You wanna give it a whirl, Ruby?"

"Taught yourself without a partner?" she asked with a lift of the eye brow.

"Always want to be prepared," he said and suddenly whipped her out from him to spin her back into him, her back against his chest. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "What do you say? Wanna cut a rug?"

"How can I say no?" she smiled and let him lead her into a smakin' good time.

**END**


	18. The End

A/N: Prompt: Begin with "Today is the end of the world"

"**The End"**

Today is the end of the world.

Maybe that's a bit on dramatic side, but nothing else seems to fit with how I feel. We lost a great ally, a fantastic friend and the best man that I will ever meet. My emotions were on a roller coaster ranging between intense anger, sorrow and complete shutdown. Anger at who had done this- an evil queen living up to her name. She couldn't change, and she wouldn't change even though he tried to help her. The sorrow was easy enough to place. I was so sad I would never hear his umbrella click across the linoleum of the diner as he came in for his club sandwich. I would never see his eyes light up as we discussed Pongo, my mustang or anything that hit our fancy for the day. Even more so, I was so sad and regretful that I never understood what he had meant to me until it was too late. That's when my emotions would turn off. It was better to feel nothing to feel that hurt. That pain in realization that I would never hear his voice again.

He was the only guy who could turn a battle with his words, no other weapons. He was amazing in that way. Where everyone else used swords or magic, he only needed words… just his beautiful and meaningful words.

My eyes linger over all the other faces around me and I can still feel Granny's hand at my back, giving me some kind of comfort. There are so many people here; so many who he had touched through his life as both a cricket and a man. Marco more than anyone else here. Marco laid his umbrella at the headstone and I caught a sob in my throat before it could pass my lips. He always carried that around, it was a slap in the face to me to see it over a headstone that held his name.

Granny's hand smoothed down my back as she heard the suppressed sob. She leaned toward me in a semblance of a hug.

"Do you need to go?"

"No," I said back and put on a determined face, "I will stay. I need to stay."

"Okay," Granny nodded and stood back at my side again as Marco finished his beautiful sentiments to his friend and mentor.

As the service came to a close, Mary Margaret and David invited everyone to their home for something to eat and to keep close together. Everyone began to walk away, Granny and I stayed behind. Marco looked back at Granny and me with an unasked question. I kept my eyes on the cold headstone, but could feel Marco's impatience.

"Go ahead with him, Granny," I asked and nodded toward him, "He needs you right now. You are one of his oldest friends."

"You need me too," she pointed out and she made me want to smile at her stubborn streak that I had inherited, "You're my granddaughter. That trumps friend any day."

"I need to be alone with him," I added and looked Granny in the eyes. I knew mine were misting up and I tried to explain to her through a look what I had never been able to say through words.

"I see," she smiled sadly and let out a large sigh. Granny hugged me tightly and then began to walk away from me and toward Marco, "I will keep a plate for you."

"Thank you, Gran," I said politely even though I knew I wouldn't be hungry later and watched her walk with Marco and the last of the guests through the forest edge and back to town. Once they were all out of earshot and I couldn't see them anymore, I turned my attention back to the grave.

You know what they say. You never know what you have until you lose it. Archie was like that. He was always there, always helping, always a comfort. It didn't seem right that he was now buried under all the dirt and soil. It didn't seem right that he had to leave all of us- leave me.

"I found something new about myself today," I said out loud to the grave though I knew he couldn't hear me. Not anymore. I knelt over the newly shifted soil over his grave and wrapped my arms around myself. My eyes closed softly as I thought of him, "I found out that you were right. I did find love again."

A tear streaked down my face and dripped from my chin to my leg. My breath was shaky and my chin wouldn't stop shaking from the intense sadness. Even the wolf in me howled and whined at the loss of the man just as it did the moment Emma and I had found him in his office.

"With that said, I have to ask… why?" my voice cracked and I shook my head as I faced the stone as if it was his face, "Why is it that when I find that I love you… you're gone?"

In the woods a silence settled as if the woods and forests themselves mourned for Archie as well. Then out from the silence, a small sound reached my ears. It was soft and I couldn't make it out at first, then it grew. I opened my eyes just slightly and chuckled sadly. It would be a cricket song to reach me now of all times. Maybe I was more than a little biased, but I remembered he had the most beautiful cricket song back in the Enchanted Forest.

"I missed you the moment I knew you were gone," I continued and tried to calm my tears, "I miss your voice the most. Don't get me wrong, you're cuter than you think, but I have to say your voice is your best attribute."

Still nothing, but the cricket song and I close my eyes.

"Archie, I don't know what to do. You were our guiding light in this town. Now what are we going to do? What am I going to do?"

I rested my head against the cold stone and leaned forward to kiss the top of it; a final goodbye to a friend and a man that never knew that he held my heart.

"I wish…" I stopped myself and shook my head before I began again, "I just wish we had another chance. Another chance at a new beginning. I love you, Archie. I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell you face to face."

I found the strength to stand again after a few minutes and wiped at my face. I touched the umbrella and then slid my fingers over the stone one more time. I turned from the grave and began the trek back into town again. There didn't seem like much hope or joy was left were it had been. Everything that I knew and held dear seemed so miniscule and unimportant. It scared me, but it made sense.

Because, my world ended today.

**END**


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